Ube  Eli3abetban  Sbafespere 


VOLUME   I 


THE  TRAGEDIE  OF  MACBETH 


Gbe  J6li3abetban  Sbafcspere 


THE  TRAGEDIE  OF  MACBETH 


A  NEW  EDITION  OF  SHAKSPERE'S  WORKS  WITH  CRITICAL 

TEXT  IN  ELIZABETHAN  ENGLISH  AND  BRIEF  NOTES 

ILLUSTRATIVE  OF  ELIZABETHAN  LIFE 

THOUGHT  AND  IDIOM 


BY 


MARK    HARVEY    LIDDELL 


NEW  YORK 
DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  CO. 
M  CM  III 


0- 


Copyright,  1903,  by 
DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  CO. 


TO 
ARTHUR   S.   NAPIER 

MERTON    PROFESSOR  OF   ENGLISH    LANGUAGE  AND   LITERATURE 

IN   THE    UNIVERSITY   OF  OXFORD 

THIS   EDITION   OF   SHAKSPERE 

IS    RESPECTFULLY  AND  AFFECTIONATELY 

DEDICATED 


MH00959 


GENERAL    PREFACE 

THE  aim  of  this  new  edition  of  Shakspere  is  twofold:  to  give  the 
modern  reader  an  accurate  critical  text  of  Shakspere* s  works  in  the 
language  of  Shakspere*  s  time,  and  to  interpret  this  in  the  light  of 
Elizabethan  conditions  of  life  and  thought  and  idiom. 

ZJUhen  Nicholas  ^owe  in  I70J  published  the  first  modern  edition 
of  Shakspere*  s  plays;  he  printed  the  text  in  the  English  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century  and  explained  its  divergencies  from  the  idiom  then  cur- 
rent as  being  due  to  the  obsolete  words  of  the  'old print*  and  to  the 
'corruptions'  of  the  early  printers.  Where  the  text  was  to  him  un- 
intelligible he  amended  it  to  suit  his  notions  of  what  Shakspere  should 
have  written. 

The  apparent  unintelligibilities;  confusions,  and  imperfections  of 
Shakspere* s  writings  when  read  as  eighteenth-century  English  and 
weighed  by  the  exact  and  formal  mind  of  Pope,  Shakspere* s  next 
editor  (1725),  were  even  more  frankly  acknowledged  than  they  had 
been  by  T^owe.  Pope,  however,  assigned  them  to  the  peculiar  defects 
of  Shakspere* s  genius :  "It  must  be  owned  that  with  all  these  great 
excellencies  he  has  almost  as  great  defects;  and  that  as  he  has  cer- 
tainly written  better,  so  he  has  perhaps  written  worse  than  any  other.** 
Guided  by  this  belief,  'Pope  made  numerous  changes  and  "improve- 
ments** in  Shakspere* s  text. 

Theobald,  in  his  edition,  I733y  took  much  the  same  attitude  to 
Shakspere* s  supposed  imperfections  that  Pope  did,  and  wrote:  "As 
in  great  piles  of  building  some  parts  are  often  finished  up  to  hit  the 
taste  of  the  connoisseur,  others  more  negligently  put  together  to  strike 
the  fancy  of  a  common  and  unlearned  beholder,  .  .  so  in  Shakspere.** 


GENERAL   PREFACE 

11  Nullum  sine  venia  placuit  ingenium,  says  Seneca.  The  genius  that 
gives  us  the  greatest  pleasure  sometime  stands  in  need  of  our  indulgence." 
Theobald,  therefore  (to  use  his  own  words),  set  himself  the  task  of  emend- 
ing the  corrupt  passages,  of  explaining  the  obscure  and  difficult  ones,  and 
of  inquiring  into  the  beauties  and  defects  of  composition.  His  guiding 
principles  were  admirable:  u  Wherever  the  author's  sense  is  clear  and 
discoverable  (thof ',  perchance,  low  and  trivial),  I  have  not  by  any  in- 
novation tamper7  d  with  his  text  out  of  an  ostentation  of  endeavouring  to 
make  him  speak  better  than  the  old  copies  have  done.  Where,  thro7 
all  the  former  editions,  a  passage  has  labour7  d  under  flat  nonsense  and 
invincible  darkness,  if,  by  the  addition  or  alteration  of  a  letter  or  two, 
or  a  transposition  in  the  pointing,  I  have  restored  to  him  both  sense  and 
sentiment,  such  corrections,  I  am  persuaded,  will  need  no  indulgence. 
And  whenever  I  have  taken  a  greater  latitude  and  liberty  in  amending, 
I  have  constantly  endeavoured  to  support  my  corrections  and  conjectures 
by  parallel  passages  and  authorities  from  himself,  the  surest  means  of 
expounding  any  author  whatever.  Cette  voie  d'interpreter  un  autbeur 
par  lui-meme  est  plus  sure  que  tous  les  commentaires,  says  a  very 
learned  French  critick.77 

While  these  principles  and  this  practice  were  far  in  advance  of  the 
scholarship  of  Theobald7 s  day,  Theobald7 s  edition  laboured  under  the 
same  disadvantages  as  did  that  of 'Pope, — namely,  the  assumption  that 
whatever  was  unintelligible  in  Shakspere  when  read  as  eighteenth-cen- 
tury English  must  likewise  have  been  unintelligible  to  Shakspere7 s  audi- 
ence. He  says  there  are  very  few  pages  in  Shakspere  upon  which 
u some  suspicions  of  depravity  do  not  frequently  arise.77  Again,  u as 
to  his  style  and  diction,  we  may  much  more  justly  apply  to  Shakespeare, 
what  a  celebrated  writer  has  said  of  Milton  :  Our  language  sunk  under 
him,  and  was  unequal  to  that  greatness  of  soul  which  furnish7 d  him  with 
such  glorious  conceptions.  He  therefore  frequently  uses  old  words  to 
give  his  diction  an  air  of  solemnity,  as  he  coins  others  to  express  the 
novelty  and  variety  of  his  ideas77 — modern  appreciations  are  often  quite 
as  ill  founded  as  is  this  one  of  Theobald7 s. 


GENERAL    PREFACE 

These  two  eighteenth-century  editors  of  Shakspere,  Pope  and  Theo- 
bald, though  such  bitter  rivals,  both  recognized  a  certain  amount  of 
obscurity  in  Shakspere*  s  language  as  they  understood  it,  and  each  in 
his  own  way  endeavoured  to  alleviate  it  or  palliate  it  for  contemporary 
readers.  In  the  one  we  have  the  prototype  of  the  literary,  in  the 
other  the  prototype  of  the  critical  editor  ofShakspere.  ZVarburton  (1747) 
and  Johnson  (1765)  followed  more  or  less  closely  in  the  footsteps  of 
Pope;  Capell  (1768),  Steevens  (1773),  and  Malone  (1790,  182 1), 
followed  in  the  footsteps  of  Theobald.  TSut  they  all  printed  Shakspere*  s 
text  in  the  current  idiom  of  their  day,  and  explained  its  divergencies  as 
being  due  to  obsolete  words,  depravity  of  text,  and  the  general  inade- 
quacy of  language  to  the  task  Shakspere  imposed  upon  it. 

The  nineteenth-century  editors  largely  occupied  themselves  with 
adding  to  the  explanatory  material  already  collected  by  their  predecessors 
and  emending  the  text  in  a  growing  spirit  of  conservatism .  <&yce  (  /  85  7) 
enriched  the  work  of  Steevens  and  Malone.  The  first  edition  to  show 
the  impulse  of  the  critical  method  which,  during  the  middle  of  the  last 
century,  did  so  much  to  purify  our  texts  of  Greek  and  Latin  classics  was 
that  of  <Delius  (1854) f  which  is  in  some  respects  superior  to  the  work 
of  the  Cambridge  editors.  <Delius> s  edition,  too,  contained  evidence  of 
that  careful  and  scholarly  judgement  which  bore  such  rich  fruit  in  Ger- 
many during  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century.  The  Cambridge  edition, 
begun  in  1863,  finished  in  1866,  and  revised  in  1887,  carried  this  criti- 
cal scholarship  a  long  step  in  advance,  furnishing  a  conservative  text 
with,  for  its  time,  a  minimum  of  emendation,  and  supplying  a  more  or 
less  complete  apparatus  for  textual  study.  This  text  has  usually  been 
reprinted  with  slight  variations  in  recent  editions  of  Shakspere.  In  1 87 1 
was  begun  a  New  Variorum  by  Horace  Howard  Furness,  collecting  in 
convenient  form  a  vast  number  of  notes  and  emendations  of  previous 
editors.  'But  in  the  nineteenth  century,  as  well  as  in  the  eighteenth,  Shak- 
spere has  invariably,  save  in  the  case  of  Dr.  Furness' s  Variorum,  which 
copies  the  First  Folio  punctuatim  et  literatim,  been  modernized  and 
transliterated  into  the  current  idiom. 


GENERAL   PREFACE 

Thus  in  two  centuries  of  editing,  Shakspere' s  works  have  usually 
been  printed  as  if  the  differences  between  Elizabethan  and  current  idiom 
were  largely  a  matter  of  obsolete  words,  and  this  modernized  text  has 
usually  been  interpreted  from  the  standpoint  of  modern  idiom.  The 
consequent  obscurities  and  confusions  have  been  set  down  with  more  or 
less  insistence  to  the  two  causes  stated  by  Theobald,  viz.  the  depravity 
of  the  text  and  the  inadequacy  of  the  English  language  to  express  Shak- 
spere's  great  thought.  Through  the  labours  of  successive  generations  of 
Shakspere  scholars  the  number  of  the  'depravities'  has  been  greatly 
reduced,  and  the  l  obscurities '  illustrated  and  more  or  less  clarified.  But 
Shakspere  is  still  given  to  us  in  modern  English  dress  and  interpreted 
to  us  as  current  idiom,  and  a  large  number  of  apparent  depravities  of 
text  and  obscurities  of  diction  still  remain  to  puzzle  the  modern  reader. 

For  a  full  half-century  it  has  been  known  that  the  development  of  a 
living  language  such  as  our  English  consists  not  merely  in  an  aban- 
donment of  a  certain  part  of  its  vocabulary,  but  in  successive  alterations 
of  its  entire  structure.  Its  sounds,  the  stresses  of  its  syllables,  its  in- 
flectional modes,  its  syntactical  habits  of  collocating  words,  its  pro- 
sodic  forms,  the  delicate  shadings  of  meaning  and  connotation  which  are 
conveyed  by  its  words  and  idioms, — all  these  undergo  a  continuous 
process  of  transformation,  sometimes  rapid,  sometimes  slow,  the  net 
result  of  which  is  that  the  idiom  of  one  period  fails  to  express  for  a  suc- 
ceeding generation  its  original  content  and  meaning. 

No  single  work  of  actual  scholarship  has  contributed  so  much  to  the 
explanation  and  elucidation  of  this  scientific  principle  as  has  the  Oxford 
Dictionary.  The  resources  which  this  one  book  places  at  the  disposal 
of  the  Shakspere  scholar  of  the  present  century  put  him  in  possession 
of  a  means  of  understanding  apparent  depravities  and  inadequacies  which 
Shakspere' s  earlier  editors  did  not  dream  of. 

(But  not  only  this :  the  stimulus  of  new  scientific  methods  has  set  to 
work  the  English  scholars  of  America,  England,  and  Germany  at  re- 
casting and  rearranging  the  whole  subject  of  English  in  the  light  of  the 
facts  of  its  historical  development.     The  fresh  knowledge  that  has  re- 


GENERAL   PREFACE 

suited  gives  a  new  interest  to  'text  depravity,'  and  invests  the  apparent 
quaintnesses  and  abnormalities  of  the  ' old  spelling'  with  a  new  mean- 
ing. Words  and  idioms  which  were  thought  to  be  ' corrupt'  in  Shak- 
spere's  text  turn  out  to  be  normal  forms  of  expression  in  normal  forms 
of  representation.  For  instance,  in  "VOe  have  scorch' d  the  snake,  not 
kill' d  it"  Macbeth  III. 2. 13,  the  "  scorch' d  "  of  Shakspere' s  text,  which 
has  been  changed  by  a  '  happy  emendation  '  of  Theobald's  to  the*  scotched' 
of  all  modern  editions,  is  a  normal  Middle  English  word-form  still  in 
use  in  Elizabethan  literature  and  employed  in  Beaumont  and  Fletcher' s 
Knight  of  the  burning  'Pestle;  though  here,  as  in  Shakspere,  it  has 
been  assumed  that  the  "  scorch' d"  of  the  half-dozen  independent  edi- 
tions of  Beaumont  and  Fletcher's  text  is  a  misprint  in  each  case  for 
4 scotched.'  And,  notwithstanding  that  the  r  looks  like  such  an  obvious 
' depravity '  of  an  original  t,  u scorch' d"  meaning  ' scored'  or  'hacked' 
was  the  word  Shakspere  used.  And  so  in  Errors  V.  1. 183,  where  this 
same  word  describes  the  scratching  of  one's  face  ;  though  here  some 
editors  explain  it  as  meaning  'singe'  and  others  emend  to  'scotch.' 

Likewise,  the  obscurity  of  diction  so  readily  laid  to  Shakspere' s 
charge  vanishes  away  when  we  confront  it  with  a  modern  historical 
knowledge  of  Elizabethan  idiom.  For  instance,  in  such  a  phrase  as 
"Let  not  my  jealousies  be  your  dishonors,  'But  mine  owne  safeties," 
Macbeth  IV.3.29,  we  do  not  have  a  vague  expression  of  the  thought, 
'I  am  jealous  for  my  honour:  but  this  jealousy  implies  no  dishonour  to 
you;  think  of  it  merely  as  proceeding  from  my  care  for  my  own  safety,' 
but  a  sharp,  clear,  and  idiomatically  expressed  notion,  'Let  not  my  sus- 
picions be  a  cause  of  shame  to  you,  but  a  safeguard  to  myself,' — a  no- 
tion that  has  more  clearness  and  definiteness  in  its  Elizabethan  form 
than  it  is  possible  to  give  it  in  a  modern  translation. 

'Depravity  of  text  undoubtedly  is  to  be  reckoned  with  in  Shakspere. 
Incorrect  punctuation,  misprinted  words,  bad  line  divisions,  and  occa- 
sional dislocations  of  the  sense  were  undoubtedly  frequently  overlooked 
by  the  proof-readers  in  early  editions  of  the  text.  'But  these  depravities 
are  normal  and  human,  and  are  not  much  worse  than  those  that  occur 


GENERAL   PREFACE 

in  the  other  printed  books  of  Shakspere'  s  time.  They  are  to  a  large  extent 
such  mistakes  as  we  should  expect  to  find  in  the  work  of  any  author 
whose  writing  was  not  revised  and  corrected  by  the  author  himself.  ^But 
the  compositor1  s  capacity  for  error  has  its  limitations :  he  does  not  make 
"pi"  of  his  own  language.  If  the  reader  will  consider  the  hundreds  of 
\emendations  that  have  been  proposed  for  the  text  of  Macbeth,  traditionally 
regarded  as  one  of  the  worst  printed  of  Shakspere' s  plays,  and  subse- 
quently been  shown  to  be  due  to  editorial  unfamiliarity  with  Elizabethan 
English,  he  will  see  that  this  invocation  of  the  deus  ex  machina  of  cor- 
ruptness to  solve  the  text  problems  of  Shakspere  has  been  appealed  to 
needlessly  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten. 

As  to  the  inadequacy  of  English  speech  to  convey  the  greatness  of 
any  one7s  thought,  our  language  has  never  failed  to  rise  to  any  emer- 
gency that  English  thinkers,  small  and  great,  have  created  for  it.  Indeed, 
in  the  very  nature  of  language  such  an  inadequacy  can  never  exist,  be- 
cause language  is  thought  itself,  and  the  possession  of  the  power  of 
creating  great  thought  carries  with  it  ipso  facto  the  capacity  of  putting 
that  thought  into  form.  Shakspere  is  never  superior  to  his  idiom :  indeed, 
no  thinker  of  English  ever  demonstrated  more  clearly  the  capacity  of 
our  language  for  clear,  direct,  and  forthright  expression.  ZJUe  should  be 
as  careful,  therefore,  in  invoking  this  explanation  of  'obscurity  of  dic- 
tion 1  to  help  us  over  a  difficult  passage  as  we  should  be  in  resorting 
to  assumptions  of  corruptness,  lest  in  charging  Shakspere  with  ob- 
scurity we  convict  ourselves  of  ignorance. 

It  is  the  purpose,  therefore,  of  this  new  edition  of  Shakspere1  s  works 
to  bring  this  new  learning  to  bear  on  the  elucidation  of  Shakspere1 s  text, 
and  to  give  new  point  to  the  illustrative  material  collected  by  the  editors 
of  the  last  two  centuries,  with  the  single  aim  of  making  the  sense  of  Shak- 
spere^ English  clear  and  inevitable  to  the  modern  reader. 

find  while  we  may  not  succeed  to  the  full  in  clearing  from  all  its 
obscurities  the  text  of  Shakspere,  or  in  illustrating  to  the  complete  satis- 
faction of  the  modern  reader  the  implication  of  Shakspere1  s  thought  and 
idiom,  yet  we  hope  to  be  able  to  push  the  great  work  of  interpreting 


GENERAL   V^EF/ICE 

Shakspere  a  step  or  two  along  its  course,  and  to  point  the  way  to  a 
fuller  comprehension  of  the  greatest  and  mightiest  piece  of  literature,  save 
one,  that  the  human  mind  has  produced. 

The  text  of  this  edition  is  a  critical  one  newly  compiled  from  the 
various  Quarto  and  Folio  sources  in  the  light  of  their  known  relations  to 
one  another,  and  not  selected  from  them  with  the  purpose  of  obtaining  the 
most  literary  and,  from  the  modern  standpoint,  the  most  easily  intelligible 
form  in  which  the  plays  might  have  been  written.  /Is  the  basis  of  the  form 
of  the  text  the  Folio  of  1623  has  been  chosen  because  it  presents  the 
uniformity  of  a  collected  edition,  and  its  English  is  essentially  that  of 
Shakspere7 s  time.  This  text  is  printed  in  the  forms  of  Elizabethan 
English,  not  from  any  desire  to  preserve  the  u quaintness" of the  original, 
nor  yet  from  any  philological  pedantry,  but  simply  because  the  scholar- 
ship of  the  last  quarter-century  has  made  evident  the  importance  of  read- 
ing Elizabethan  literature  in  the  language  in  which  it  was  written,  and 
not  in  modern  transliterations  or  translations  of  it. 

(But  while  the  spelling  of  Shakspere7 s  English  is  an  essential  ele- 
ment of  its  structure  indicating  essential  distinctions  of  sound,  the  typo- 
graphical peculiarities  of  the  Folio,  such  as  the  capitalization  of  important 
words  and  the  printing  of  the  letters  f,  ir  and  u  for  s,  j,  and  v,  are  dis- 
tinctions which  have  only  formal  and  not  essential  significance.  The 
punctuation  system,  too,  of  Elizabethan  English  is  a  formal  method  of 
pointing  thought  that  is  different  from  our  modern  one,  but  does  not  in- 
dicate thought  divisions  essentially  different  from  those  of  modern  Eng- 
lish. It  is  therefore  unnecessary  to  preserve  these  formal  peculiarities 
of  printing,  and  the  editor  has  followed  the  system  adopted  by  the  Oxford 
(Dictionary  for  quoting  Elizabethan  literature,  with  the  sole  distinction 
of  substituting  modern  capitalization  for  Elizabethan.1 

Significant  variant  readings,  where  there  is  more  than  one  indepen- 
dent source  of  the  text,  are  given  in  their  original  form.  Mere  variations 
in  spelling  and  readings  of  Quartos  or  Folios  which  are  not  independent 

1The  capitalization  of  important  words  is  not  peculiar  to  the  Folio,  but  was  a 
common  practice  of  Elizabethan  printing-offices. 


GENERAL    P^EF/ICE 

sources  of  the  text  are  omitted.  These  latter  are  of  no  more  weight  in 
determining  the  text  than  are  modern  guesses.  Conjectural  emendations 
are  not  noticed  unless  they  supply  in  the  place  of  a  word  obviously  un- 
intelligible as  Elizabethan  English  another  word-form  which  makes  apt 
sense  in  Shakspere' s  time7  and  can  be  assumed  as  the  basis  of  a  more 
or  less  evident  printer's  error.  In  short,  it  is  the  aim  of  the  text  and  of 
the  critical  notes  to  present  the  work  of  Shakspere  simply  and  clearly  in 
a  form  which  Shakspere  himself  would  understand,  and  one  as  nearly  like 
the  form  he  may  be  supposed  to  have  given  his  writing  as  a  conservative 
application  of  the  principles  of  evidence  can  attain  to. 

The  aim  of  the  explanatory  notes  is  to  bring  together  in  brief  space 
and  compact  form  such  material  as  is  necessary  to  the  clear  understand- 
ing of  Shakspere' s  text.  Those  which  have  to  do  with  glossarial  ex- 
planations aim  to  give  as  accurately  as  possible  the  exact  shade  of  mean- 
ing which  Shakspere' s  words  had  at  the  time  they  were  written.  Many 
Elizabethan  locutions,  while  not  entirely  obsolete  in  modern  English, 
nevertheless  suggest  a  range  of  associated  ideas  that  is  quite  different 
from  those  they  now  suggest.  In  the  misunderstanding  of  these  Eliza- 
bethan connotations  lies  the  ground  of  the  charge  of  obscurity  which  is  so 
frequently  brought  against  Shakspere' s  thinking :  an  intimate  understand- 
ing, therefore,  of  these  word  meanings  is  necessary  not  only  to  an  in- 
telligent comprehension  of  Shakspere' s  text,  but  is  also  necessary  to  an 
appreciation  of  the  literary  quality  of  his  writing.  Left  to  himself,  the 
modern  reader  can  only  guess  at  these  connotations,  and  his  guess,  as 
is  evident  from  the  explanations  of  almost  any  edition  of  Shakspere, 
does  not  always  hit  the  mark.  'Very  frequently  a  delicate  implication 
or  a  fine  reference  is  missed  in  this  process  of  guessing.  The  editor, 
therefore,  has  preferred  to  incur  the  criticism  of  tl insulting  the  reader's 
intelligence"  (as  it  is  called)  by  glossing  these  obsolete  connotations, 
rather  than  that  any  should  miss  the  full  meaning  of  Shakspere' s  words 
by  not  being  familiar  with  Elizabethan  idiom.  The  glossarial  notes  are 
not  intended  to  set  down  inferences  more  or  less  obvious  from  the  con- 
text, but  are  designed  as  far  as  possible  to  give  a  definite  authority  for 


GENERAL    (PREFACE 

such  an  inference.  And  in  all  cases  either  a  reference  to  the  Oxford 
(Dictionary  is  cited  in  justification  of  the  meaning  given,  or  a  reference 
from  contemporary  literature  is  appended  to  show  that  the  reader's  in- 
ference {if  he  would  naturally  make  it)  is  authorized  by  contemporary 
usage. 

The  same  plan  has  been  followed  in  respect  to  the  grammatical  idiom 
of  Elizabethan  English.  These  illustrative  references  are  given  as  far 
as  possible  in  the  language  of  Shakspere' s  time;  their  sources  indicated; 
and  where  they  have  been  made  use  of  in  earlier  editions  due  credit  has 
been  given  to  the  editor  who  first  pointed  them  out.  In  some  cases  it 
has  been  necessary  to  cite  them  in  modernized  forms  because  the  original 
quotation  has  not  been  accessible  to  the  editor.  Such  citations  are  dis- 
tinguished from  the  others  by  being  printed  within  single  quotation-marks. 
^Brief  notes  of  a  literary  character,  or  illustrating  the  dramatic  action, 
have  been  added  where  it  has  seemed  to  the  editor  that  these  helped  to 
a  clearer  appreciation  of  the  text;  and  summaries  of  the  dramatic  action 
have  been  appended  to  the  several  acts  to  keep  before  the  reader's  mind 
the  unity  which  the  play  would  have  when  represented  upon  the  stage. 

The  numeration  of  the  Globe  Text,  which  has  come  to  be  the  classic 
one  and  is  now  used  in  standard  Shakspere  dictionaries  and  grammars, 
has  been  followed  in  this  edition.  Where  the  editor  has  seen  fit  to  de- 
part from  the  verse  division  of  the  Globe  Text,  or  from  the  act  and  scene 
division,  the  departure  has  been  carefully  indicated,  and  Globe  refer- 
ences appended  in  small  type  at  the  side  of  the  text. 

The  form  in  which  the  note  matter  is  arranged  about  the  text,  re- 
viving a  fifteenth-century  method  of  note-composition,  with  some  slight 
modifications  to  suit  modern  conditions  of  printing,  has  been  adopted  to 
secure  ease  of  reading  and  beauty  of  typography. 

It  only  remains  to  say  that  the  editor  is  not  insensible  of  the  deep 
obligation  which  he  owes  to  the  Shakspere  scholarship  of  the  past,  as  well 
as  to  that  of  the  present.  The  labours  of  Steevens  and  Malone  (whose 
wide  reading  in  Elizabethan  literature  furnished  rich  material  for  the 
modern  editor  to  draw  upon ),  the  careful  work  of  the  editors  of  the  Cam- 


GENERAL   <P<REFACE 

bridge  Text  in  accurately  recording  the  variants  of  the  Quartos  and  Folios, 
the  learning  and  perspicacity  of  Nicolaus  Melius,  the  substantial  work 
of 'Dr.  Furnivall  and  the  New  Shakspere  Society T  the  photographic  fac- 
similes of  the  Quartos  [largely  due  to  Dr.  FurnivaW  s  energy),  the  fine 
Staunton  facsimile  of  the  First  Folio,  the  valuable  material  in  the  Ger- 
man Shakespeare  Jahrbuch,  the  careful  compilations  of  the  Variorum 
editions,  especially  of  Dr.  Furness's  modern  Variorum  —  all  these  have 
contributed  to  lighten  the  present  editor's  task  and  enrich  his  work.  /I 
modern  evaluation  of  the  Shakspere  scholarship  of  the  past  two  centuries 
is  not  necessarily  a  light  one  because  modern  scholarship  seeks  to  give 
its  results  a  new  bearing  and  a  fresh  interpretation.  Though  ideals  of 
editing  may  change,  faithful  and  earnest  work  abides,  and  the  old  wis- 
dom dies  not  with  the  advent  of  the  new  learning.  'Beneath  the  mask  of 
Shakspere* s  easy  fluency  there  lies  a  revelation  of  human  nature  that 
is  as  broad  as  the  earth  and  as  deep  as  the  sea.  No  one  scholar,  no 
one  generation  of  scholars,  can  compass  its  interpretation.  As  long  as 
men  shall  live,  and  till  the  thoughts  of  all  hearts  be  revealed,  there  will 
be  material  for  new  thought  in  the  pages  of  Shakspere.  The  danger  that 
Shakspere  study  has  to  fear  is  not  the  multiplication  of  new  editions, 
but  the  classicization  of  a  single  edition  which  all  shall  possess  and  no 
one  read. 

M.  H.  L. 

Summit,  N.  J.,  January,  IJ03> 


INTRODUCTION    TO  MACBETH 

MACBETH  belongs  to  that  group  of  great  dramas,  Hamlet,  Othello, 
and  Lear,  which  marks  the  culmination  of  Shakspere7 s  literary  develop- 
ment* These  plays  were  all  produced  in  the  first  decade  of  the  sev- 
enteenth century,  probably  between  1602  and  1606} 

The  date  of  Macbeth  is  now  usually  set  down  as  1606,  The  earliest 
certain  mention  of  the  play2  is  a  note  in  Forman7  s  T)iary  roughly  de- 
scribing the  tragedy  as  he  saw  it  acted  at  the  Globe  Theatre  on  the  20th 
April,  1610  [April  30th  N,  S.).3  <But  the  reference  to  the  double 
crowning  of  James  at  Scone  and  at  Westminster,  the  allusion  to  equivo- 
cation in  connection  with  treason/  the  flattering  description  of  Edward 
touching  for  the  kingfs  evil,  and,  if  we  recall  the  legal  aspect  of  the  Scot- 
tish James's  succession  to  the  throne  of  Elizabeth,  the  unusual  notion 

1Cp.   The    Succession    of    Shakspere' s  are  reprinted  in   the  New  Shakspere  So- 

ZVorks,  being  'Dr.  Furnivall's  introduction  ciety' s  Transactions,  187 5-1876,  pp-  415  ff. 

to    the  English  translation  of  Gervinus's  They  are  preserved  at  Oxford  in  A shmolean 

Commentaries,  1874,  p-  xliv.  MS.  no.  208.    The  note  on  Macbeth  occurs  at 

2 Farmer  thought  that  the  lines  in  The  leaf  207,  article  x,  and  begins:  uln  Mack- 
puritan  or  Widow  of  Watling  Street  (a  beth  at  the  glod  [sic],  16  jo,  the  20  of  A  prill 
play  published  in  1607  and  now  usually  h,  ther  was  to  be  obserued,"  etc.  Forman, 
assigned  to  Middleton), l  Instead  of  a  jester  who  was  an  astrologer,  in  this  as  in  the  other 
we'll  have  a  ghost  in  a  white  sheet  sit  at  entries  wrote  the  astronomical  sign  corre- 
the  head  of  the  table,'  contain  an  earlier  sponding  to  the  day  of  the  week,  here  that  of 
reference  to  Macbeth,  and  Farmer's  notion  Saturn  for  Saturday,  but  these  marks  were 
has  been  revived  in  recent  editions  of  Shak-  overlooked  by  the  N.  Sh.  Society's  copyist, 
spere.  'But,  as 'Professor  Manly  has  pointed  The  entry  was  evidently  made  from  memory 
out  (Macbeth,  Longmans,  1876,  pp.  x  ff.),  in  161 1,  and,  besides  being  inaccurate  in  its 
these  words  have  been  taken  from  their  con-  description  of  Macbeth  (see  note  on  p.  122), 
text,  and  their  reference  is  to  a  ghost  in  The  is  in  error  in  so  far  as  the  20th  of  April  in 
Puritan,  not  to  'Banquo's  ghost.  1 6 10  fell  upon  a  Friday,  not  upon  a  Saturday. 

3  Forman' s  entries  are  random  moraliz-  4It  has   recently   been   argued   that   the 

ings  for  "common  pollicie,"  suggested  by  l farmer'  who  hanged  himself  is  a  punning 

the  plays  he  saw,   among  them   three   of  allusion  to  the  Farmer  of  the  gunpowder 

Shakspere' s,  the  entries  concerning  which  treason  ;  but  see  the  note  to  the  passage. 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

of  'affecting*  a  royal  title,  all  point  to  an  earlier  date,  at  least  for  the 
composition  of  Macbeth,  than  Forman's  note  would  give  us. 

For  although  the  defence  of  equivocation  is  a  subject  of  popular  and 
literary  reference  well  into  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and 
panegyrics  on  the  Union  abound  for  a  generation  after  the  kingdoms  were 
united,1  it  is  hardly  likely  that  Shakspere  would  have  referred  to  James's 
peculiar  scruples  about  the  king's  evil  (see  note  on  p.  180)  much  later  than 
160 5.  The  king  soon  forgot  them  himself.  The  spirit  of  the  play  also 
points  to  the  early  years  of  James's  reign,  when  interest  in  early  Scot- 
tish history  was  keen  and  the  king's  own  discussion  of  witchcraft  was 
fresh  in  the  public  mind.  ZVe  are  not  apt  to  be  far  wrong,  therefore,  if 
we  assume  1605  as  a  rough  date  for  Macbeth.2 

The  version  of  the  Macbeth  legend  upon  which  Shakspere  based  his 
play  he  found  in  Holinshed's  Chronicle  :3  it  has  not  yet  been  made  evi- 
dent that  he  followed  any  other  account  than  the  one  Holinshed  gives.4" 
This  subject-matter,  to  the  modern  historian  largely  legendary,  but  to 
Shakspere' s  contemporaries  true  history,  was  especially  acceptable  dur- 
ing the  early  days  of  the  reign  of  James  I,  not  only  because  the  impulse 
to  give  a  quasi  epic  form  to  the  early  history  of  Britain  was  a  character- 
istic feature  of  the  literature  of  the  period,  but  also  because  the  Scottish 
origin  of  England' s  new  king  was  attracting  public  attention  to  Scottish 

1  The  "trebble  scepters"  in  IV.  I. 121  and  3 For  evidence  that  it  was  the  second  edi- 
the  reference  to  the  good  year  in  the  porter's  Hon  of  Holinshed  and  not  the  first  that 
speech  are  also  usually  taken  as  evidence  Shakspere  used,  see  the  preface  to  Shak- 
pointing  to  1606.  'But  the  former  is  not  nee-  spere's  Holinshedt  ZV.  G.  cBoswell-StoneT 
essarily  a  reference  to  the  Union;  and  the  Longmansr  1896  (also  one  of  the  publica- 
latter  seems  to  have  been  a  current  jest  of  tions  of  the  New  Shakspere  Society).  This 
Shakspere' s  time:  see  note  to  the  passage,  reprint  is  the  most  accurate  and  most  con- 

2  'Dr.  Richard  Garnett  in  the  Shakespeare  venient  yet  published.  Others  will  be  found 
Jahrbuch,  vol.  xxxvii,p.  214,  in  order  to  sup-  in  <Delius's  edition,  1855,  Furness's  Vario- 
port  the  late  17th-century  tradition  that  Shak-  rum,  Clark  and  ZV right's  Clarendon  Press 
spere  when  living  at  New  Place  regularly  edition,  and  in  the  various  single-play  edi- 
supplied  the  London  stage  with  two  plays  a  tions  of  Macbeth. 

year,  has  maintained  that  Forman's  descrip-  4/Jn  attempt  has  been  made  to  show  that 

Hon  is  of  a  first  representation  of  cMacbeth  he  also  consulted  William  Stewart's  Chron- 

in  161 1 /the  play  being  withheld  during  1 6 1 0.'  icle,  ed.  (Rolls  Series,  1858,  a  versified  his- 

<But  1610,  and  not  161 1,  is  the  date  which  tory  of  Scotland  that  is  assumed  to  have 

Forman  gives, — see  the  note  on  the  preced-  been  circulated  in  MS.  form  in  Shakspere' s 

ing  page, —  and  local  Shakspere  traditions  time  ;  but  the  evidence  is  far  from  convincing, 

are  exceedingly  uncertain  lights  to  follow.  See  Athenaeum  for  July  25,  I8J6. 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

history.  ^Both  of  these  interests  are  combined  in  Slatyer's  tPalcealbion 
with  the  inclusion  of  the  Macbeth  legend  and  the  usual  flattery  of  the 
reigning  sovereign.  ZVarner,  too,  in  the  1606  edition  of  his  Albion7 s 
England  inserted  the  Historie  of  Macbeth.  The  fact  that  neither  of  these 
writers  follows  Shakspere' s  story  points  to  a  general  interest  in  the 
theme  as  associated  with  James7 s  ancestors,  rather  than  to  a  particular 
interest  roused  by  Shakspere' s  work.  This  interest  is  further  shown  by 
the  circumstance  that  James,  upon  his  visit  to  Oxford  in  August,  1605, 
was  welcomed  by  a  Latin  entertainment  representing  the  witch  episode 
of  the  Macbeth  legend  and  associating  the  king  with  the  prophecy  re- 
garding 'Banquo's  line.1  Farmer  thought  that  Shakspere,  notwithstand- 
ing his  'small  Latin/  might  here  have  obtained  a  hint  for  his  compliment 
to  James.  And  Farmer's  view  is  not  unlikely :  for  Shakspere  would 
have  been  indeed  stupid  had  he  not  got  sufficient  learning  from  the  Strat- 
ford grammar-School  to  enable  him  to  read  the  sort  of  Latin  that  the  play 
was  couched  in.2 

Shakspere' s  Macbeth,  however,  is  not  a  chronicle  play  based  upon 
dramatic  events  in  the  early  history  of  his  sovereign's  native  country. 
He  condenses  and  boldly  alters  Holinshed's  narrative,  adapting  the 
material  to  his  purposes,  and  giving  to  history  the  unity  and  tense  in- 
terest of  tragedy.3  He  seizes  on  the  theme  which  the  story  presented 
to  him, — namely,  the  influence  of  the  weird  sisters'  prophecy  on  Mac- 
beth's  career,  an  episode  more  or  less  incidental  in  Holinshed's  account, 
—  and  with  this  Scottish  Saul  and  his  Witches  of  Endor,  interpreted 
in  the  light  of  popular  notions  of  witchcraft  and  the  current  psychology 
of  insanity,  builds  up  a  tragedy  whose  motif  is  essentially  the  same  with 
that  of  the  Heracles  Mainomenos  of  Euripides,  or  that  of  the  classic 

1  See  Farmer  on  the  Learning  of  Shak-  Jonson  was  one  of  the  best  Latinists  of  his 

spere,  apudV  ariorum,  I8037H,p.54,  or  Sim-  time  and  duly  proud  of  his  accomplishments ; 

rock  in  publications  of  Old  Shakspere  So-  Shakspere' s  knowledge  of  Latin  might  have 

ciety,  1853;  p.  127:   Simrock  quotes  ZVake's  been  'small'  in  his  scholarly  friend's  estima- 

Latin  description  of  the  play  in  its  entirety.  tion  and  still  have  been  quite  sufficient  to  pose 

2 It  is  often  assumed  that  Shakspere  could  many  a  modern  schoolmaster, 

not  read  Latin  at  all:    the  fact  that  cBen  ^See,  for  example,  the  introductory  notes 

Jonson  said  his  Latin  scholarship  was  inccn-  to  Scene  II  and  Scene  V  of  Act  I,  and  the 

siderable  is  evidence  quite  to  the  contrary,  summary  at  the  end  of  Act  II. 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

and  mediceval  story  of  Hercules  Furens,  or  that  of  the  mediceval  and 
modern  Faust  legend,  a  tragedy  which  in  respect  to  unity  and  tenseness 
of  interest  is  unequalled  in  the  history  of  literature. 

As  the  play  has  come  down  to  us,  we  have  it  in  the  dress  which 
Hemminge  and  Condell  gave  it  in  1623,  almost  twenty  years  after  its 
production.  In  it  there  are  obvious  interpolations.1  It  is  characterized 
also  by  unusual  condensation  in  style,  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  it 
was  intended  to  be  filled  out  by  spectacular  additions,  evidences  of  the 
existence  of  which  are  to  be  found  in  contemporary  references  and  sub- 
sequent traditions  in  regard  to  its  stage  history.  This  condensation 
makes  Macbeth  difficult  to  read  even  when  one  is  familiar  with  Eliza- 
bethan English.  ZVhen  it  is  read  as  modern  English  and  due  attention  is 
not  given  to  the  current  psychology  of  ShakspereT  s  time,  the  action  seems 
abrupt  and  disconnected.  Much  of  this  unintelligibility  has  been  charged 
up  to  careless  printing,  successive  editors  having  perpetuated  the  notion 
that  the  text  is  an  unusually  corrupt  one.  ^ut  a  careful  comparison  of 
the  text  of  this  edition  with  that  of  the  First  Folio  will  show  clearly  that 
Macbeth  is  not  nearly  so  badly  printed  a  play  as  it  has  been  supposed 
to  be.  And  a  careful  study  of  the  Elizabethan  word  meanings  and  their 
implications  will  show  a  wonderful  continuity  and  unity  in  the  develop- 
ment of  its  thought,  and  will  point  to  the  conclusion  that,  save  for  the  few 
obvious  interpolations,  all  of  which  could  be  taken  out  without  sacrific- 
ing its  interest  or  hindering  its  movement,  we  have  Macbeth  essentially 
as  Shakspere  wrote  it. 

{.  The  theme  of  Macbeth  is  a  favourite  subject  of  Greek  drama  in- 
vested with  Germanic  interests — namely,  the  fatal  consequences  of  the 
intervention  of  supernatural  influences  for  evil  in  the  affairs  of  men, 
\  And  the  power  of  the  tragedy  lies  in  the  fact  that  we,  helpless  specta- 
tors, look  on  consumed  with  pity  but  unable  to  avert  the  doom.  All  of 
Shakspere' s  greatest  tragedies  present  to  us  the  picture  of  a  mens  in- 
sana,  a  diseased  soul  whose  powers  are  out  of  balance  and  out  of  tune 

1  These  are  discussed  in  the  notes  to  the  various  suspected  passages.     See  especially 
the  introductory  note  to  Scene  V  of  Act  III. 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

through  the  excess  of  some  one  faculty  dominating  the  others  and  over- 
throwing the  u  state  of  man  n  which  Macbeth  speaks  of  in  1.3. 140.  In 
Hamlet  it  is  a  mind  essentially  weak  from  excess  of  deliberation,  ua 
resolution  [i.  e.  will-power]  sicklied  ore  with  the  pale  cast  of  thought  [i.  e. 
brooding  anxiety]/ n  that  defeats  a  noble  purpose  and  wrecks  a  noble  soul. 
In  Lear  we  have  the  tragic  results  of  a  single  foolish  act,  a  single  fatal 
aberration  of  judgement,  proceeding  from  an  excess  of  caution.  It  is  the 
u  consequence  n — using  the  word  in  its  Elizabethan  sense — of  this  that 
produces  the  mens  insana  and  mocks  the  noble  hope  of  an  old  age  to  be 
spent  in  the  happy  comfort  of  filial  care.  In  Othello  it  is  a  pitiful  jeal- 
ousy, arising  from  an  excess  of  credulity  and  causing  melancholia  (an 
aspect  of  the  mens  insana  in  Shakspere' s  time :  see  <Burton) s  Anatomy 
of  Melancholy,  passim),  that  shatters  a  noble  love.  Hamlet,  Lear, 
Othello,  Macbeth  are  all,  in  the  language  of  Elizabethan  psychology, 
u  distempered  n  souls. 

But  Macbeth  is  different  from  the  former  three  in  having  a  moving 
cause  from  without.  Like  Hercules,  as  he  returns  victoriously  from  the  J 
scene  of  his  conquests,  the  furies  invade  his  soul,  and  he  becomes  mai-)( 
nomenos,  furens,  'regarding  neither  lazv  of  God  nor  law  of  man/  The 
modern  reader  misses  much  of  this  aspect  of  the  play  by  putting  modern 
meanings  upon  the  words  in  which  it  is  involved,  and  letting  their  sense 
go  for  literary  when  he  cannot  clearly  understand  them.  So  that  when 
Shakspere  for  the  first  time  presents  this  notion  of  an  invasion  of  Mac- 
beth's  soul  by  the  powers  of  evil  in  the  implication  of  Macbeth7 s  own 
words,  Shakspere' s  thought  gets  lost  in  the  vagueness  of  the  modern  trans- 
lation. The  modern  reader,  too,  is  prone  to  overlook  the  nature  and  sig- 
nificance of  the  embodiment  of  these  powers  of  evil  which  Shakspere 
presents  in  his  witches.1  He  sees  the  instigating  machinery  of  the  tragedy 
as  a  mere  incident  in  the  course  of  its  development.  But  Shakspere' s 
conception  of  these  agencies  was  far  otherwise.  The  powers  of  darkness 
and  their  evil  instruments  were  to  him  and  to  the  common  people  of  his 

1 A  glance  at  Scene  V  of  Act  III  will  show      missed  the  meaning  of  these  moving  influ- 
clearly,  also,  how  the  careless  interpolator      ences  of  the  tragedy. 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

day  horrible  realities ,  fleshly  embodiments  of  evil  to  be  met  with  in  every 
countryside.  No  mere  theological  figures  to  express  the  spiritual  aspects 
of  the  evil  tendencies  of  the  human  soul;  they  really  entered  meny s  bodies 
and  took  possession  of  the  house,  ruling  all  for  their  wicked  ends.  Thus, 
as  were  the  classic  furies  to  the  Greek  mind,  these  powers  of  evil  were  to 
the  Elizabethan  actual  personalities  lying  in  wait  for  those  they  would 
destroy.  The  literature  of  the  time  is  full  of  this  notion.  Even 'Bacon 
reflects  it.  James  was  interested  in  the  subject  and  wrote  his  tract  on 
demonology  to  counteract  the  juster  notions  that  were  appearing  from 
time  to  time  in  the  tracts  of  liberally  minded  theologians.  The  whole 
force  of  the  law  of  England  was  brought  to  bear  against  the  poor  crea- 
tures who  were  thought  to  be  possessed  by  these  demons  of  evil,  and  not 
till  a  century  after  Shaksperef  s  time  did  this  notion  of  the  actual  entrance 
of  the  devil  into  the  body  of  man  lose  its  hold  on  the  imagination  of 
men.  Even  yet,  in  out-of-the-way  corners  of  popular  superstition  and 
belief  in  England  and  America,  can  one  find  it  lingering.  The  story  of 
Macbeth,  therefore,  is  one  of  that  class  of  themes  which  represent  an 
ambitious  man  as  bargaining  with  the  devil  and  selling  his  soul  in  ex- 
change for  power.  And  if  the  reader  is  to  get  a  clear  notion  of  the  essen- 
tial tragedy  of  Macbeth' rs  harried  life  he  must  bear  this  in  mind. 

In  Holinshed  Macbeth  already  belongs  to  an  heroic  period  of  British 
history  ;  but  Shakspere  adds  touches  here  and  there,  giving  more  sharp- 
ness to  the  epic  characteristics.  In  the  opening  scene  of  the  play  the 
hero  towers  vast  and  bulky  above  all  others  in  the  battle,  tearing  his 
way  single-handed  through  an  opposing  army  of  rebels  and  cleaving  their 
leader  from  neck  to  navel  in  true  Homeric  fashion,  while  IBellona  smiles 
proudly  on  the  glorious  achievements  of  her  beloved  minion.  It  is  an 
epic  and  Homeric  picture.  This  heroic  aspect  of  Macbeth  comes  out 
again  when  he  returns  in  triumph  to  receive  his  meed  of  praise  from 
Duncan  and  be  hailed  in  triumph  as  the  saviour  of  his  country.  These 
epic  characteristics  flash  forth  from  time  to  time  throughout  the  play, 
perhaps  nowhere  more  clearly  than  when  Macbeth  longs  for  the  former 
age  ere  human  statute  had  purged  the  gentle  weal — when  the  brains 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

were  out  the  man  would  die!  —  the  time  when  a  man  could  go  straight 
to  his  purpose,  be  it  foul  or  good,  and  gain  his  end  in  a  forthright  way. 
His  virtues  are  heroic :  when  he  plans  to  murder  Duncan  it  is  the  heroic 
notion  of  the  rites  of  hospitality  and  the  patriarchal  notion  of  allegiance 
to  a  just  king  that  stay  his  handT  not  the  thought  of  killing  an  innocent 
old  man  in  cold  blood.  It  is  his  fear  of  the  taunt  of  cowardice  that 
nerves  him  to  the  deed  itself.  It  is  the  dread  that  he  will  have  to  drink 
the  same  cup  that  taints  his  joy :  he  '11  gladly  risk  the  life  to  come.  And 
■when  the  powers  of  evil  get  hold  of  his  imagination  and  poison  his  soul 
at  the  spring,  his  vices  become  heroic  too;  and,  being  heroic,  they  are 
interesting,  possessing  that  fatal  attraction  which  magnificent  strength 
has  even  when  viciously  applied.  Thus  the  wild  havoc  which  the  victim 
of  these  instigations  works  suggests  no  "vulgar  criminal,11  but  a  Her- 
cules furens,  and  awe  and  pity  overpower  our  loathing  of  his  crimes. 
Euripides1  s  treatment  of  this  theme  in  its  general  outlines  presents  strik- 
ing similarities  to  Shakspere's  handling  of  the  Macbeth  story  —  similari- 
ties due  to  the  fact  that  the  methods  of  great  art  are  eternally  the  same; 
and  perhaps  it  will  be  worth  our  while  for  a  moment  to  glance  at  this, 
in  a  certain  sense,  Greek  prototype  of  the  English  Macbeth. 

The  colossal  and  heroic  figure  of  early  Greek  history,  like  Macbeth, 
has  his  soul  invaded  by  the  furies  as  he  is  returning  triumphant  from 
one  of  his  great  labours;  and  Euripidesr s  play  is  the  tragic  consequence 
of  this  supernatural  invasion.  Hercules1  s  madness,  however,  is  of  a 
simpler  and  more  elemental  character  than  Macbeth' 's.  Made  furens  by 
these  powers  of  evil,  he  murders  his  dear  ones.  In  Macbeth1  s  case  the 
instigation  is  more  subtle,  less  objective;  the  evil  influences  seize  upon 
a  strong  ambition  of  kingship  already  firmly  planted  in  Macbeth1  s  mind 
and  fostered  by  a  native  imagination  of  unusual  strength,  amiwork  upon 
this  to  poison  his  soul.  Hercules,  when  he  again  recovers  his  sanity 
and  sees  in  its  true  light  the  enormity  of  his  crime,  is  plunged  into  de- 
spair, and  on  the  brink  of  suicide  exclaims  that  'his  bark  is  full  fraught 
with  horrors.1  Macbeth,  looking  back  over  the  long  train  of  bloody 
yesterdays  and  helplessly  involved  in  their  tragic  consequence,  is  like- 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MAC<BETH 

wise  on  the  brink  of  suicide — "Out,  out,  breefe  candle!  n — and  in  the  bit- 
terness of  his  despair  he  too  exclaims,  UI  have  supped  full  of  horrors."1 
Hercules  recovers  his  former  self  through  the  ministrations  of  friendship 
and  Euripides7 s  play  comes  to  a  redeeming  end',  Macbeth  does  not 
wholly  recover, —  the  poison  has  worked  too  deeply  for  that, —  but  the  ne- 
cessity for  action  rouses  his  titanic  will  in  somethinglike  its  early  strength, 
and  his  manly  end  at  least  suggests  the  redemptive  note. 

These  two  dramas,  then,  while  written  to  meet  radically  different  con- 
ditions of  interest,  have  a  certain  subtle  kinship  with  one  another  that 
seems  deeper  than  a  mere  accidental  coincidence.  For  Macbeth,  while 
not  insane  in  our  modern  sense  of  the  word,  is  essentially  mad  when  his 
acts  and  words  are  viewed  in  the  light  of  Elizabethan  psychology.  He 
has  that 'great  imagination  proper  to  madmen ' ':  the  shaping  fancies  of  his 
seething  brain  'apprehend  more  than  cool  reason  ever  comprehends/ 
The  poet,  ' of  imagination  all  compact/  comes  out  clearly  in  his  first 
words,  "So  foule  and  faire  a  day  I  have  not  seene, )y  as  he  blends  together 
in  his  thought  the  blustery,  fitful,  stormy  day  and  the  battle  he  has  just 
passed  through.  Thus  at  the  very  outset  Macbeth  is  presented  to  us  as  a 
dreamer  of  dreams,  find  all  through  the  course  of  the  play  it  is  rather 
the  poetic  visions  which  he  sees  than  the  facts  which  are  that  lead  him 
on  from  day  to  day.  The  natural  influences  which  surround  him  and  the 
supernatural  powers  which  he  thinks  are  brooding  over  his  career  glorify 
with  their  misty  haze  every  one  of  his  soliloquies.  When  the  instru- 
ments of  darkness  deprive  him  of  his  sovereignty  of  reason  and  drive 
him  into  madness,  he  is  the  lunatic,  the  madman,  'who  sees  more  devils 
than  vast  hell  can  hold. T  Life  becomes  one  long,  changing  'fever/  and 
'  what  Ts  a  fever  but  a  fit  of  madness  ? ;  These  restless  '  extacies, T  these 
'fever  fits/  as  Shakspere  calls  them,  using  the  technical  language  by 
which  the  physician  of  his  time  described  this  kind  of  alienation,  make 
the  'torture  of  the  mind7  that  becomes  the  Nemesis  of  his  tragedy. 

1Likewise  Macbeth' s  ul  have  lived  long  resque,  nihil  est:  cuncta  iam  amisi  bona.n 

enough,"  etc.,  has  an  interesting  parallel  in  (This  parallel  was  pointed  out  by  'Professor 

the  words  of  Seneca's  Hercules :  "  Cur  ani-  Munro  in  the  Journal  of  Philology,  Vol.  VI, 

mam  in  ista  luce  detineam   amplius,   Mo-  p.  70  ff.) 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

The  evidences  which  show  that  Shakspere  conceived  Macbeth  as 
suffering  from  a  'mind  diseased '  are  to  be  found  rather  in  the  language 
which  he  uses  to  describe  its  symptoms  than  in  the  text  itself.  If  one 
reads  these  words  with  their  Elizabethan  connotations;  and  notes  their 
application  to  various  forms  of  alienation  in  the  technical  literature  of 
the  subject  as  it  was  in  Shakspere7 s  time;  especially  as  gathered  to- 
gether in  Burton's  great  treatise  on  insanity ,  he  will  see  clearly  that 
Shakspere  intended  to  represent  Macbeth  as  a  person  of  unsound  mind. 

This  is  not  the  historical  Macbeth  of  Holinshed.  T)r.  Furness 
{Variorum^  p.  359)  suggested  that  Shakspere  got  his  hint  for  Macbeth' s 
hallucinations  from  Holinshed' s  story  of  the  unquiet  mind  of  Kenneth 
after  the  murder  of  his  nephew  Malcolm,  the  son  of  King  Duff:  cp. 
Bo  swell- Stone,  p.  30.  But  in  this  account  of  Kenneth's  unquietness 
it  is  only  one  voice  and  one  unquiet  night  that  are  described;  the  visions 
are  absent.  In  Buchanan' s  Historia  Rerum  Scoticarum,  cap.  vir  which 
was  extant  in  Latin  in  Shakspere' s  time  ( 1st  ed.;  1 582  \,  and  might  easily 
have  been  accessible  to  himy  we  have  the  words :  u  Tamen  animus,  con- 
scientia  sceleris  inquietus,  nullum  solidum  et  sincerum  ei  gaudium 
esse  permittebat;  sed  intercursantibusper  otiumco^itationibus  sceleris 
fcedissime  interdiu  vexabatur;  et  per  somnum  observantia  visa  bor- 
roris  plena  quietem  interpellabant.  Tandem  sive  vere  vox  coelo  edita 
est,  sive  turbatus  animus  earn  sibi  ipse  speciem  finxerat,"  etc.  This 
gives  us  the  picture  of  Macbeth' s  torture  almost  exactly  as  Shakspere 
conceived  it.1  It  will  be  remembered \  also;  that  it  was  Buchanan  who 
made  the  suggestion  that  the  Macbeth  story  was  fitter  for  dramatic  pur- 

1  Shakspere,  in  describing  Macbeth' s  men-  ing'  Malcolm'  to  his  peace'  —  "intercursanti- 

tal  torture,  employs  verbiage  that  sounds  bus  per  otium" — and  could  ' gain  no  peace' 

very  like  a  rough  translation  of  'Buchanan's  for  himself,  —  "et  visa  horroris  plena" — but 

Latin;  one  can  almost  fancy  him  reading  it :  'terrible  dreams'  and   'visions'  —  "obser- 

"animus  conscientia  sceleris  inquietus" — his  vantia  " —  'afflicting'  him — "per  somnum 

mind  in  'restless  ecstacy'  with  the  conscious-  quietem  interpellabant" — 'shook  him  night- 

ness  of  his  guilt — "nullum  solidum  et  sin-  ly' ;  —  "  sive  vere  vox  coelo  edita  est"  —  either 

cerum  ei  gaudium  esse  permittebat" — kept  he  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  crying' sleep  no 

him  'dwelling  in  doubtful  joy,'  —  "sedfoedis-  more,  Kenneth  doth  murder  sleep' — "sive" 

sime  interdiu  vexabatur"  —  and  he  was  con-  — or — "turbatus  animus"  —  his  'diseased 

tinually  'tortured' — "cogitationibus  sceleris"  mind' — "  ipse  earn  speciem  sibi  finxerat"  — 

—  by  thoughts  of  his  wicked  deed  in  'send-  itself  'informed'  thus  to  his  guilty  ears,  etc. 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

poses  than  for  historical — "quia  theatris  aut  Milesiis  fabulis  sunt  ap- 
tiora  quam  historise."  If  Shakspere  did  not  get  his  hint  direct  from 
Buchanan,  —  and  he  might  easily  have  done  so, — he  could  well  have 
obtained  it  from  current  literature,  since  Burton  refers  to  the  story  as  a 
sort  of  commonplace  illustrating  an  unquiet  conscience,1 

Macbeth' 's  own  realization  of  his  'possession*  is  rather  the  vague 
consciousness  of  a  mysterious  disturbing  power  within  him  than  a  clear 
acknowledgement  of  the  fact  that  he  has  sold  his  soul  to  the  powers  of 
darkness.  He  knows  that  he  is  sick,  but  until  the  very  end  of  the  play 
he  thinks  his  'rooted  sorrow '  is  temporary ;  action  will  rid  him  of  it; 
to-morrow  he  will  be  well:  to-morrow  the  consequence  will  be  tram- 
melled up.  If  Banquo  becomes  a  disturbing  element  to  his  peace  of 
mind,  he  will  get  Banquo  out  of  the  way  and  to-morrow  be  at  peace. 
If  Macduff  rises  to  take  Banquo7 s  place  as  a  disturber  of  his  peace,  he 
will  wade  on  through  the  stream  of  blood,  and  to-morrow,  having  gained 
firm  ground  on  the  other  side,  he  will  sleep  in  spite  of  thunder.  So  it 
is  —  to-morrow  and  to-morrow  and  to-morrow — peace  ever  just  beyond 
until  the  end  comes  and  he  is  face  to  face  with  his  shattered  life,  his 
broken  hopes,  lighted  by  yesterdays  the  way  to  dusty  death.  Life  is 
meaningless,  a  gibbering  idiot' s  tale,  a  strutting  actor's  rant,  full  of 
sound  and  fury,  signifying  nothing. 

And  at  last,  too  late,  poor  Macbeth  comes  to  the  bitter  realization 
that  the  juggling  fiends  have  been  paltering  with  him  in  a  double  sense, 
keeping  the  word  of  promise  to  his  ear  and  breaking  it  to  his  hope, 
lying  like  truth;  that  his  rooted  sorrow  has  been  planted  by  himself. 
With  one  last  frenzied  tug  he  tears  it  from  his  mind,  and  is  almost  him- 
self again  when,  defying  fate  as  well  as  men,  his  life  goes  out  in  the 
flaming  words  "Lay  on,  Macduffe,  And  damn1  d  be  him  that  first  cries 
'Hold,  enough  !fn 

1  Burt  on /Anatomy  of  Melancholy'  III.  4.  sembled  the  matter  a  longtime,  at  last  his 

ii.  3,  quotes  the  substance  of  'Buchanan's  de-  conscience    accused   him,  his    unquiet    soul 

scription:     'Kennetus,  King   of  Scotland,  could  not  rest  day  or  night,  he  was  terrified 

when  he  had  murdered  his  nephew  Malcolm,  with  fearful  dreams,  visions,  and  so  miser- 

KingcDuff'sson,cPrince  of  Cumberland,  and  ably  tormented  all  his  life.'     {A  foot-note 

with  counterfeit  tears  and  protestations  dis-  shows  that  he  cites  'Buchanan  from  memory.) 


xxvi 


INTRODUCTION   TO    MACBETH 

The  contributory  characters  to  his  tragedy  are  sketched  in  with  a 
few  touches,  sharp  enough  for  clear  definition;  but  never  with  sufficient 
detail  to  make  them  of  paramount  interest:  Lady  Macbeth,  'Banquo, 
Macduff  Malcolm,  With  marvellous  skill,  Shakspere  prevents  even 
the  most  important  of  them  —  Lady  Macbeth — from  becoming  a  para- 
mount theme.  Jit  the  beginning  the  woman,  as  the  instigator  of  Mac- 
beth7 s  first  step  in  his  bloody  course,  does  threaten  to  absorb  the  reader's 
whole  attention.  cBut  Shakspere  withholds  the  details  which  would  con- 
tribute to  this  end  and,  instead  of  giving  them  in  their  proper  place,  re- 
flects them  backward  into  the  action  after  Macbeth  has  become  the 
paramount  theme,  and  there  is  therefore  no  danger  of  weakening  our 
interest  in  the  main  current  of  the  action.1 

Banquo,  too,  is  kept  in  the  background,  though  we  would  gladly 
know  just  how  Banquo  felt  about  Duncan's  murder,  the  authorship  and 
motive  of  which  he  must  have  suspected,  and  what  he  really  thought 
about  the  witches'  prophecy  promising  kingship  to  his  family.  When 
we  come  to  Macduff,  the  danger  of  a  subsidiary  theme  becoming  of 
paramount  interest  is  over,  and  Shakspere  gives  us  more  detail  because 
the  detail  will  now  heighten  the  interest  of  the  external  climax  of  the 
tragedy  without  marring  its  unity.2 

Lady  Macbeth' s  possession  by  the  powers  of  evil,  which  in  the 
havoc  it  works  is  essentially  the  same  as  Macbeth' s,  is  yet  so  care- 
fully differentiated  from  Macbeth' s  madness  in  the  manner  of  its  in- 
ception that  the  unity  of  interest  in  the  play  is  in  no  way  marred.  The 
insidious  combination  of  ambition  and  supernatural  soliciting  in  Mac- 
beth' s  case  is  counteracted  by  a  natural  manliness  and  a  "milk  of 
human  kindness"  that  make  a  continuous  and  interesting  resistance 

1/1  short-sighted  criticism,  reading  Mac-  left  out  by  accident  or  through  abridgement 

beth  in  modern   English   as   a   tragedy   of  for  practical  purposes  of  stage  representation, 

events  rather  than  one  of  character,  has  gone  -Here  again  criticism  has  cavilled  at  the 

so  far  as  to  assume  that  these  detailed  ac-  disproportionate  amount  of  attention  which 

tions — for  instance,  the  planning  out  of  'Dun-  Shakspere  gives  to  the  plans  of  Malcolm  and 

can' s  murder  either  by  letter  or  inconference  in  cMacduff  to  restore  the  Scottish  throne  to 

the  early  part  of  the  play — were  represented  its  rightful  heir,  the  objective  and  spectacu- 

in  the  original  copy  of  Macbeth  but  have  been  lar  culmination  of  the  drama. 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

to  the  '  disenfranchisement  of  his  bosom'  and  the  dethronement  of  his 
will.  And  when  this  struggle  is  over  the  fact  that  his  imagination  is 
the  strongest  element  of  his  mental  character,  and  that  it  is  only  neces- 
sary for  the  instruments  of  evil  to  work  upon  that  to  produce  the  mental 
torture  which  forms  the  Nemesis  of  Macbeth9 s  tragedy,  furnishes  a  new 
interest  for  the  course  of  the  play.  Lady  Macbeth,  however,  is  pre- 
sented to  us  not  only  as  not  resisting  the  powers  of  evil  which  threaten  her 
peace,  but  as  furiously  invoking  their  entrance  into  her  soul. 

After  she  has  accomplished  her  purpose  of  inciting  Macbeth  to  the 
murder  ofDuncan,  she  fades  out  of  the  drama  and  becomes  a  merely  pas- 
sive subject  in  the  hands  of  fate,  emerging  only  to  her  final  doom  in  the 
last  act.  The  invoked  powers  of  evil  immediately  poison  her  will.  Mac- 
beth says  of  himself  that  his  state  of  man  is  thrown  into  insurrection, 
and  this  insurrection  is  the  theme  of  his  tragedy;  but  there  is  no  insur- 
rection in  Lady  Macbeth' s  case  because  there  is  no  resistance ;  her  ex- 
ecutive instruments  themselves  are  evil,  and  even  her  hints  are  fatal.1 

The  internal  unity  of  theme  and  interest  in  Macbeth  is  comple- 
mented by  an  external  unity  of  form  that  is  peculiar  to  this  among  Shak- 
spere's  great  tragedies.  This  unity  of  structure  is  secured  by  the  in- 
sertion of  narrative  scenes  between  the  several  acts  of  the  play  to  serve 
the  purposes  of  the  Greek  chorus.  Through  the  influence  of  Seneca  on 
Elizabethan  play-writing  this  form  of  dramatic  structure  was  not  un- 
known to  Shakspere' s  contemporaries.  Shakspere's  very  practical  adap- 
tation of  it  shows  clearly  what  a  stage  master  he  was.  Indeed,  he  has  been 
so  successful  that  modern  criticism  has  failed  to  notice  these  linking 
scenes  as  being  at  all  external  to  the  main  interest  of  the  tragedy.  Their 
character  and  their  peculiar  effect  in  uniting  and  making  one  picture  of 
a  long  series  of  events  will  be  best  observed  by  reading  them  in  their 
places  with  a  consciousness  of  their  dramaturgic  import. 

Another  striking  characteristic  of  Macbeth  is  its  absence  of  perspec- 

1It  is  going  far  afield  to  assume  that  a  and  no  contemporary  version  of  the  story 

blood  feud  existed  between  Lady  Macbeth  attaches  any  importance  to  it.     Indeed,  the 

and  'Duncan's  house.     There  is  no  trace  of  whole  thing  is  a  motif  evolved  from  the  mind 

this  in  the  action  or  phraseology  of  Macbeth,  of  a  foreign  critic  of  the  play. 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

tive.  Its  scenes  are  presented  to  the  imagination  with  such  sharpness 
of  outline  and  at  the  same  time  with  such  conciseness  of  interest  that  the 
whole  tragedy  becomes  a  single  picture.  The  play  is  peculiar  in  this 
respect.  Its  main  action  is  sketched  out  at  first  more  or  less  roughly; 
but  as  we  watch  the  unfolding,  details  which  really  belong  to  scenes  that 
have  passed  the  immediate  vision  of  the  mind7 s  eye  are  filled  in  to  recall 
that  past  and  bind  it  in  with  the  present.  As  a  work  of  art  Macbeth  is 
thus  in  its  cesthetic  unity  a  marvellous  achievement,  because  to  a  certain 
extent  it  transcends  its  own  limitations.  In  a  great  picture  or  in  a  great 
piece  of  statuary,  a  single  moment  of  interest  is  pressed  upon  the  at- 
tention by  the  skill  of  art  in  such  a  way  that  all  which  has  preceded 
that  particular  moment  and  all  that  will  follow  is  at  once  seized  upon 
by  the  comprehending  imagination,  which  of  itself  knows  not  the  limita- 
tions of  time  and  space.  The  interest  of  a  great  work  of  literature,  how- 
ever, is  a  consecutive  interest,  moment  succeeding  moment  in  rhythmic 
pulse  and  all  contributing  to  a  final  impression  when  we  reach  the  end  of 
the  series.  cBut  Shakspere  in  his  Macbeth,  by  the  simple  device  of  adding 
fresh  detail  to  recalled  scenes,  keeps  the  whole  tragedy  as  it  were  before 
the  mindTs  eye  at  one  time.  One  of  the  most  interesting  and  important 
scenes  in  the  whole  play  is  the  murder  of  Duncan,  yet  we  do  not  get 
the  full  details  of  this  scene  at  the  time  of  its  enactment.  ZVe  merely 
get  the  impression  of  a  deed  of  horror  done  in  darkness.  When  the 
scene,  however,  is  recalled  at  the  end  of  the  play  in  Lady  Macbeth' s 
sleep-walking,  it  comes  into  the  imagination,  as  Shakspere  represents 
it,  not  with  a  loss  of  detail  as  is  usually  the  case  in  -a  recalled  experi- 
ence, but  with  added  detail  which  it  did  not  have'  before.  Just  a  word 
—  a  single  association  or  two — gives  the  past  act  a  new  and  present  in- 
terest. The  time  analysis  of  the  play  considered  as  history  covers  a 
period  of  some  score  of  years.  Right  in  the  middle  of  it  is  a  gap  seven- 
teen years  long.  But  when  viewed  by  the  imagination  as  Shakspere 
forces  us  to  look  at  it,  Macbeth  is  crowned  at  Scone  yesterday  and  to- 
day oferthrown  at  T)unsinane.  Yet,  paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  while 
the  action  is  thus  brought  before  us  as  a  single  conspectus,  this  is  done 


INTRODUCTION   TO    MACBETH 

without  sacrificing  the  interests  which  come  from  a  long  course  of  devel- 
opment. Little  hints  and  suggestions,  word  associations,  all  the  sub- 
sidiary interests  of  literature,  combine  to  suggest  the  result  of  a  long 
course  of  events  in  single  moments.  While  the  action  of  the  play  has 
been  rushing  along  through  a  few  days  of  rapid  denouement,  Macbeth 
passes  from  middle  age  into  the  sear  and  yellow  leaf.  He  tastes  the 
whole  bitterness  of  despair  in  a  succession  of  disappointing  yesterdays 
stretching  back  through  a  lifetime  of  defeated  hopes.  Shakspere's  power 
in  securing  this  unity  and  continuity  at  the  same  time,  thus  presenting 
action  as  it  comes  to  us  in  dreams  without  the  limitations  of  time  and 
space,  is  well  illustrated  in  Hamlet  where  the  clock  strikes  twelve  in 
the  opening  of  the  first  scene  and  three  minutes  afterward  strikes  one 
without  producing  any  sense  of  incongruity  in  the  reader's  mind. 

Still  another  characteristic  of  Macbeth  which  is  well  worth  the 
reader's  attention  is  the  wonderful  fitness  of  its  rhythms.  It  is  not  only 
in  its  verbiage  one  of  the  most  poetical  of  Shakspere's  plays,  but  is  also, 
in  the  way  in  which  the  rhythmic  flow  of  their  attention  stresses  reflects 
the  notions  expressed  by  his  words,  one  of  the  most  poetic  plays  of  that 
period  when  he  had  fully  learned  the  power  and  use  of  English  rhythms. 
There  is  no  surer  mark  to  distinguish  his  later  from  his  earlier  poetry 
than  this  harmonious  fitness  of  speech  rhythms.  And  in  no  respect  is 
the  distinction  between  the  interpolated  matter  in  this  play  and  Shak- 
spere's  own  work  sharper  and  clearer  than  in  the  difference  between  the 
rhythms  of  the  added  matter  and  Shakspere's  own.  There  is  no  poetry 
in  English  literature  in  which  such  perfect  rhythmic  fitness  in  the  move- 
ment of  the  thought  is  secured  without  the  sacrifice  of  a  single  idiomatic 
locution  or  graphic  word  association  as  we  have  in  Macbeth,  Othello, 
Hamlet,  and  Lear.  Some  of  these  harmonious  rhythm  series  are  pointed 
out  in  the  notes,  but  there  has  not  been  space  sufficient  to  include  a  notice 
of  anything  like  their  full  number.1 

1  The  relation  of  such  rhythm  series  to  the  English  'Poetry  (<Doubleday,  Page  &  Co., 

structure  of  English  poetry  is  briefly  dis-  1902, pp.27 '5-305), and  the  nomenclature  and 

cussed, with  special  reference  to  Shakspere' 's  notation  there  explained  are  employed  in  the 

verse,  in  An  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  ensuing  notes. 


INTRODUCTION    TO    MACBETH 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  characteristics  of  this  great  tragedy,  second 
only  to  Hamlet  as  a  picture  of  the  overthrow  of  a  human  souL  Shak- 
spere  is  his  own  best  commentator,  and  a  clear  understanding  of  the 
meaning  and  implication  of  his  words  in  the  senses  which  they  bore  when 
he  used  them  is  a  surer  guide  to  a  full  appreciation  of  his  works  than 
all  the  books  that  have  been  written  about  them. 

The  only  textual  source  for  Macbeth  is  the  Folio  of  1623.  This 
undoubtedly  gives  us  an  acting  version  which,  if  not  one  of  Shakspere* s 
"blotless  papers/7  at  least  comes  as  near  being  an  authorized  edition 
as  any  version  we  shall  ever  have.  No  change,  therefore,  has  been 
made  in  its  verbiage  save  for  the  attempted  corrections  of  its  indubitable 
misprints.1 

In  consonance  with  the  general  plan  of  the  edition,  the  text  is  pre- 
sented  in  the  language  of  Shakspere* s  time.  But  the  reader  hardly  needs 
to  be  told  that  Shakspere' s  words  may  be  pronounced  as  the  English 
of  to-day  without  serious  detriment  save  to  the  sound-colouring  of  his 
verses2 — may  the  time  soon  come  when  even  this  drawback  to  the  full 
appreciation  of  Shaksperef  s  poetry  shall  be  removed  I 

The  abbreviations  used  in  the  notes  are  in  the  main  self-explanatory , 
or  in  such  common  usage  as  to  need  no  explanation  here.  The  con- 
stantly recurringwords  "  Old  English, "  u Middle  English," and  u New 
English/7  connoting  respectively  the  periods  of  our  language  from  the  be- 
ginning to  1025,  from  1023  to  1550,  and  from  1550  to  the  present,  are 
represented  by  the  current  abbreviations  O.E.,  M.E.,  and  N.E.  These 
are  often  further  qualified  by  the  words  'early*  and  'late/  respectively 
abbreviated  to  e.  and  I.  The  Folio  and  Quarto  Texts  of  Shakspere  are 
represented  by  FO.  and  QO.  followed  by  the  numeral  which  indicates 
their  respective  places  in  the  series.  The  Oxford,  or  New  English, 
Dictionary  is  represented  by  N.  E.  D.,  and  the  Century  Dictionary  by 
Cent.  Diet.  ;  the  number  or  letter  following  the  abbreviation  represents 

1 A  list  of  these  will  be  found  in  the  Index,  inary  glance  at  the  references  there  given  will 
2  The  chief  peculiarities  of  Elizabethan  enable  the  reader  easily  to  surmount  stum- 
word  representation  are  arranged  in  the  In-  bling-blocks  that  might  otherwise  halt  him 
dex  under  the  rubric  Spelling,  and  a  prelim-  from  time  to  time  in  the  course  of  his  readings 


INTRODUCTION   TO  MACBETH 

the  peculiar  sense  of  the  word  referred  to,  After  the  reader  has  become 
familiar  with  them  the  titles  of  the  early  New  English  dictionaries  are 
abbreviated  to  Cooper ;  Minsheu,  Jllvearie,  Coles,  Glossographia,  Phr. 
Gen.,  etc.  Save  where  special  note  is  made,  I  cite  these  dictionaries  in 
the  following  editions :  Caret's  /llvearie,  1 580  ( 1st  ed. ) ;  Coles' *s  Eng- 
lish Dictionary,  1713  (isted.,  1677);  Coles's  Latin  Dictionary ,  1679 
(Isted.,  1677);  Comenius's  Janua  Linguarum  Reserata,  translated  by 
Horn  and^obotham,  1 643  (Horn* s  translation  is  dated  1634);  Cooper's 
Thesaurus,  1573  (isted.,  1565);  Cotgrave's  French  Dictionary,  with 
Howell's  supplement,  1650  (1st  ed.,  161 1);  Cowel's  Law  Diction- 
ary, 1684  (1st  ed.,  1607);  Florio's  Italian  Dictionary,  161 1  (1st  ed., 
1597);  Glossographia,  1707  (1st  ed.,  1656);  Holyoke's  Latin  Dic- 
tionary, 1677  (Isted.);  Kersey's  English  Dictionary,  1708  (Isted.); 
Minsheu's  Ductor  in  Linguas  (containing  1st  ed.  of  Percivale),  1 6 17 
(Isted.);  Percivale' s  Spanish  Dictionary,  1623;  'Phillips's  New 
World  of  Words,  1678  (1st  ed.,  1658);  Phraseologia  Generalis  (The 
Cambridge  Phrase  'Book),  1 68 1  (Isted.);  Sewel's  Dutch  Diction- 
ary, 1708  (1st  ed.);  Skinner's  Etymologicon,  1 67 1  (licensed  1668); 
Thomas's  Latin  Dictionary,  with  Holland's  supplement,  1620  (1st 
ed.,  1596);  Withal' s  Little  Dictionarie  for  Children,  1556  (Isted.). 
The  names  of  the  various  learned  societies  whose  publications  are  fre- 
quently referred  to  are  abbreviated  as  follows :  O.  Sh.  Soc,  The  Old 
Shakspere  Society  ;  N.  Sh.  Soc,  The  New  Shakspere  Society ;  Shake- 
speare Jahrbuch,  or  Jahrb.,  the  Jahrbuch  der  deutschen  Shakespeare 
Gesellschaft;  E.  E.  T.  S.,  The  Early  English  Text  Society ;  Sp.  Soc, 
The  Spenser  Society ;  Per.  Soc,  The  Percy  Society. 

The  names  of  the  various  editors  of  Shakspere  whose  work  is  referred 
to  will  be  found  chronologically  arranged  in  Furness's  Variorum,  or  in 
the  Preface  to  the  Cambridge  Edition,  or  in  Mr.  Lee's  Life  of  William 
Shakespeare  {pp.  361  ff. ).  Professor  J.  M.  Manly,  whose  excellent  school 
edition  of  Macbeth  appeared  in  1896,  should  be  added  to  the  list.  The 
title  of  the  Clarendon  Press  edition  of  Macbeth,  by  Clark  and  Wright 
( Oxford,  1878),  I  have  shortened  to  CI.  Pr.    The  titles  of  the  books  from 


INTRODUCTION    TO   MACBETH 

which  illustrative  quotations  have  been  drawn  are  cited  in  the  forms  given 
in  the  New  English  and  the  Century  dictionaries,  and  are  in  the  main 
self-explanatory.  Its  date  usually  accompanies  each  citation.  The  ab- 
breviations of  the  titles  of  Shaksperef  s  works  are  practically  those  em- 
ployed by  the  Oxford  Dictionary  and  do  not  need  explanation  to  the 
Shakspere  student.  The  marks  '  and  "  indicate  primary  and  secon- 
dary grades  of  stress :  unstressed  impulses  are  left  unmarked.  The 
conventional  turned  e  (a)  represents  the  vowel  sound  of  an  unstressed 
syllable,  or  the  sound  of  u  in  'but/  4  cut/  etc. 

My  indebtedness  to  my  predecessors  has  already  been  acknowledged 
in  the  General  Preface.  But  I  desire  especially  to  express  my  obliga- 
tions to  Schmidt's  Shakspere  Lexicon,  for  many  finely  discriminated 
definitions ;  to  the  Century  Dictionary,  for  many  supplementary  Eliza- 
bethan quotations ;  and  to  the  Clarendon  T^ress  edition  of  Macbeth,  for 
many  valuable  cross-references. 

The  practical  and  mechanical  difficulties  attendant  upon  the  form 
of  composition  have  been  many  and  various,  and  I  should  be  indeed  un- 
grateful if  I  did  not  acknowledge  the  unfailing  courtesy  of  the  publishers 
and  the  ready  skill  of  the  printers  in  coping  with  these,  commonly  counted 
the  humiles  et  sordidae  curae  of  editorship.  And  in  this  connection 
I  must  also  express  my  deep  obligation  to  the  good  sense  and  good  taste 
of  my  assistant,  who  has  relieved  me  of  much  of  the  burden  of  arrang- 
ing the  note-matter  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  possible,  under  modern 
conditions,  a  fifteenth-century  form  of  printing. 


xxxni 


THE   TRAGEDIE   OF 
MACBETH 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

corresponds  to  Modern  English  (MN.  E.)  'over' :  cp.  1.7. 1.  *TF  4  BATTAILE  is  an  Eliza- 
bethan English  (EL.  E.)  spelling  of  the  word  due  to  the  retention  of  its  Middle  English 
(M.  E.)  form.  SF  5  In  TH'  SET  and  TH'  FOGGE  (v.  1 1)  we  have  illustrations  of  the  loss 
of  the  vowel  of  the  definite  article  common  in  EL.  E.  both  in  poetry  and  in  prose  and 
whether  the  following  word  began  with  a  consonant  or  with  a  vowel.  The  evidence 
of  this  is  found  in  EL.  printing  and  in  the  versification  of  careful  writers:  cp.  "from 
th'rest"  Drayton/ Barrons  Warres' V.  63-  7;  "affright  th'  most  senselesse  thing"  ifcz'c/. II. 
66.  5  ;  "  in  th'  daies  "  (prose)  Dekker,  '  Knights  Conjuring,'  Percy  Soc,  p.  33-  We  have 
probably  an  evidence  of  this  elision  in  the  apostrophe  in  such  printing  as  "  would  here 
set '  peacefull  period  to  my  dayes"  Ben  Jonson,  '  Sejanus,'  1640,  p.  341,  and  "  Well  said, 
this  carries  '  palme  with  it  "  '  Poetaster'  p.  300.  (The  phenomenon  still  survives  as  a 
peculiarity  of  modern  dialect  English ;  see  Prof.  Wright's  '  Dialect  of  Windhill,'  Eng. 
Dial.  Soc,  I892;  pp.  91  and  1 10;  in  the  Windhill  dialect  the  remaining  spirant  is  fur- 
ther reduced  to  t.)  The  elision  is  of  very  frequent  occurrence  in  Macbeth.  We  may 
assume,  therefore,  that  the  printer  of  the  Folio  in  these  two  cases  neglected  to  denote 
the  omission  by  the  customary  apostrophe  of  EL.  texts.  Pope's  excision  of  the  ar- 
ticle here  and  in  v.  II,  and  Abbott's  attempt  to  explain  HOVER  in  v.  II  as  a  mono- 
syllable, are  due  to  efforts  to  make  the  verses  perfectly  rhythmical  in  MN.  E.  SF  6 
HEATH  in  EL.  E.  rhymed  with  MACBETH,  the  vowels  of  the  two  words  differing  only 
in  quantity,  and  was  sounded  as  if  rhyming  with  MN.  E.  "faith."  Almost  without  ex- 
ception, ea  in  Shakspere  has  nearly  the  sound  of  a  in  MN.  E.  '  make '  and  ay  in 
MN.  E.  'day,'  viz.  a  long  close  e-sound,  and  our  present  i-sound  for  this  Vowel,  as  in 
MN.  E.  "heath,"  is  nearly  a  century  later  than  Shakspere.  *TF  7  The  scansion  "There 
to  meet  with  Macbeth"  forces  a  strong  pause  after  MEET  and  thus  gives  peculiar  im- 
pressiveness  to  WITH  MACBETH.  The  loss  of  an  unstressed  syllable  after  a  ceesural 
pause  is  of  common  occurrence  in  English  verse  and  gives  no  occasion  for  the  numer- 
ous emendations  which  supply  a  monosyllabic  adjective  like  'brave'  or  'great'  before 
MACBETH.  *JF  8  In  the  Folio  I  COME,  GRAY-MALKIN  is  assigned  to  the  First  Witch, 
having  '  I  '  before  it.  What  follows  is  printed  as  a  couplet,  preceded  by  the  stage  direc- 
tion '  All.'  It  is  probable,  however,  that  after  v.  9  some  'stage  business'  of  the  witches 
intervened,  like  the  dance  in  1.3-32  ff.,  abruptly  ended  by  the  summons  of  the  nuntius 
spirit  (see  note  to  III.  v.  34),  and  that  the  witches  then  vanished  singing  the  couplet  in  vv.  10 
and  II.  Shakspere  uses  for  the  names  of  his  witches'  familiars  GRAY-MALKIN,  the 
common  appellation  of  a  cat,  like  MN.E.  'Tabby,'  and  PADOCK,  the  M.E.  and  EL.E. 
word  for  toad:  cp.  Gifford's  'Dialogue  concerning  Witches,'  1603,  ed.  Percy  Soc, 
p.  19*.  "Witches  have  their  spirits  .  .  some  in  one  likenesse  and  some  in  another  .  . 
as  like  cats  .  .  toades  .  .  or  mice,  whom  they  nourish  with  milk  or  with  a  chicken." 
On  the  same  page  is  a  story  of  a  witch  who  "had  three  spirits,  one  like  a  cat  which  she 
called  Lightfoot,  another  like  a  toade  which  she  called  Lunch,  and  a  third  like  a  weasill 
which  she  called  Makeshift."  The  punctuation  of  the  Cambridge  Text  in  v.  9,  "  Pad- 
dock calls — anon!"  follows  Capell,  1768,  departing  from  that  of  the  Folio  and  assuming 
ANON  to  be  an  answer  to  Padock's  summons,  'Coming!'  But  as  punctuated  in  the 
Folio  the  expression  is  natural  and  makes  good  sense,  i.  e.  '  Padock  will  summon 
us  presently':  for  the  use  of  the  present  tense,  cp.  "Farewell,  thou  Lob  of  spirits,  I 'le 
be  gon,  Our  queene  and  all  her  elves  come  here  anon"  Mids.  II.  I.  16.  There  is  there- 
fore no  good  reason  for  altering  the  text.  SF  10  In  EL.  E.  FAIRE  and  FOULE  mark  off  a 
sharper  and  more  fundamental  distinction  than  they  do  now,  nearly  that  of  right  and 
wrong,  a  distinction  which  Shakspere  makes  frequent  use  of;  cp.  the  many  instances 
in  Schmidt  s.v.  'fair.'  *1F  II  The  notion  of  the  powers  of  evil  HOVERING  in  the  air  is 
also  found  in  John  III.  2.  2,  "Some  ayery  devill  hovers  in  the  skie,  And  pours  downe 
mischiefe."  FILTHIE  has  since  Shakspere's  time  acquired  a  strong  connotation  of  dis- 
gust:  see  Mr.  Bradley's  note  on  the  history  of  the  word's  meaning  in  the  New  English 
Dictionary  (N.  E.  D.).     To  the  ears  of  Shakspere's  audience  it  meant  only  'murkj^' 

4 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  II 

The  subject  matter  for  this  scene  comes  from  Holinshed's  Historie  of  Scotland,  1587, 
pp.  169  ff.  But  Shakspere  aptly  fits  this  historical  material  to  his  dramatic  purpose. 
Holinshed  describes  four  successive  battles  in  which  Macbeth  took  part:  in  the  first  he 
puts  an  end  to  the  rebellion  of  Macdowald;  in  the  second  he,  Banquo,  and  the  king 
are  defeated  at  Culros  by  Sweno,  the  King  of  Norway,  who  immediately  after  the  vic- 
tory over  Macdowald  invades  the  realm  of  Scotland;  in  the  third,  the  Scots  having 
drugged  the  Norwegian  soldiers  by  mingling  the  "juyce  of  mekilwort  berries"  with  their 
food,  Macbeth  falls  upon  them  and  destroys  their  army,  Sweno  and  ten  others  escaping 
to  their  ships;  in  the  fourth  Macbeth  and  Banquo  defeat  an  avenging  incursion  of  the 
Danes  sent  by  Canute  and  arriving  while  the  Scots  were  still  celebrating  their  victory 
over  Sweno.  The  'composition'  of  vv.  59  ff-  is  the  result  of  this  battle.  "And  these 
were  the  warres  that  Duncane  had  with  forrayne  enemies  in  the  seventh  yeare  of  his 
raigne." 

Shakspere  rolls  these  four  into  one,  linking  the  last  three  with  the  first  by  hinting  that 
the  Norwegian  hosts,  coming  to  the  aid  of  the  Scots,  cp.  v.  27,  turned  on  them,  "assisted" 
by  the  treachery  of  the  Thane  of  Cawdor,  and  began  a  fresh  attack,  but  were  defeated  by 
Macbeth  and  Banquo.  In  Holinshed  the  treachery  of  Cawdor  is  briefly  mentioned  in  the 
words  :  "  shortlie  after  the  Thane  of  Cawdor  being  condemned  at  Fores  of  treason  against 
the  King  committed,  his  lands  livings  and  offices  were  given  of  the  King's  liberalise  to 
Macbeth,"  and  the  invasion  of  the  King  of  Norway  is  not  connected  with  Macdowald's 
rebellion.  In  Holinshed's  account,  too,  Duncan  and  Malcolm  take  an  active  part  in  the 
fighting.  We  must  remember,  therefore,  that  in  Scene  II  we  are  dealing  with  Shakspere's 
Macbeth  and  not  with  Holinshed's,  that  all  this  first  act  is  not  the  '  Historie  of  Scotland' 
but  the  background  of  a  tragedy.  The  details  of  those  parts  of  the  action  in  which  Mac- 
beth is  not  directly  concerned  are  thus  mere  hints  and  suggestions,  intentionally  left  vague 
and  undefined,  and  due  historic  sequences  of  time  and  events  have  but  little  place  in  the 
dramatic  interest.  What  Shakspere  gives  us  is  the  picture  of  a  great  battle  whose  central 
figure  is  Macbeth  twice  snatching  victory  out  of  the  jaws  of  defeat  and  disaster:  the  other 
figures  are  merely  sketched  in,  as  it  were,  so  that  the  heroic  personality  may  stand  forth 
in  greater  clearness  and  distinction. 

The  first  three  sentences  of  this  scene  do  not  sound  like  Shakspere,  especially  the  awk- 
ward and  unnecessary  inversion  "of  the  revolt  the  newest  state."  Moreover,  they  intro- 
duce the  succeeding  events  as  an  aspect  of  a  revolt,  not  as  a  single  battle ;  they  explain  to 
the  audience  the  relations  of  the  actors  to  the  action  in  a  bald  and  mechanical  way  quite 
unlike  Shakspere's,  who  usually  leaves  the  action  to  explain  itself;  they  make  Malcolm 
participate  in  the  battle  but  leave  the  field  for  no  apparent  cause  before  its  crisis  has  come 
on  and  in  utter  ignorance  of  the  issue  of  even  the  first  stage  of  the  fight ;  and  they  contain 
a  reference  to  the  news-bringer  as  a  wounded  "serjeant"  that  is  inconsistent  with  the 
scene  and  stage  directions.  These  inconsistencies  give  good  ground  for  supposing  that 
Scene  II  when  it  left  Shakspere's  hands  began  with  Malcolm's  words  "  Haile,  brave 
friend !  "  These  lines  are  therefore  marked  off  from  the  rest  of  the  play  by  an  obelus  (f ), 
and  the  u  Captaine  "  of  FO.  I  is  not  altered  to  u  Sergeant "  or  u  Soldier  "  in  the  stage 
directions,  as  in  modern  editions  beginning  with  Capell's,  1767.  '  The  "Duncan  (Dun.)" 
of  modern  editions  has  also  been  changed  back  to  the  "  King"  of  FO.  I.  There  is  only 
one  king  in  the  play,  and  that  is  Duncan.  Macbeth's  kingship  is  an  ill-worn,  ill-fitting 
garment,  and  we  are  never  allowed  by  Shakspere  to  forget  the  fact ;  even  Davenant's  later 
version  of  the  play,  1674,  recognized  the  fitness  of  this  stage  direction.  The  theory  stated 
by  the  editors  of  the  Clarendon  Press  edition  (CI.  Pr.),  that  the  whole  scene,  together  with 
vv.  I— 37  of  Scene  III,  is  by  another  hand  than  Shakspere's,  is  quite  untenable. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SCENE  II:    A  CAMP  NEAR  FORRES:    ALARUM  WITHIN 

ENTER  KING  MALCOLME  DONALBAINE  LENOX  WITH  ATTENDANTS 

MEETING  A  BLEEDING  CAPTAINE 

I  — 13 


f  KING 
HAT  bloody  man  is  that?  He  can 

report, 
As  seemeth  by  his  plight,  of  the 

revolt 
The  newest  state.*)* 
MALCOLME 

fThis  is  the  serjeant 
Who  like  a  good  and  hardie  souldier  fought 
'Gainst  my  captivitie.*j*  Haile,  brave  friend! 
Say    to    the    king    the    knowledge   of    the 

broyle 
As  thou  didst  leave  it. 

CAPTAINE 

Doubtfull  it  stood, 
As  two  spent  swimmers  that  doe  cling  together 
And  choake  their  art.    The  mercilesse  Mac- 

donwald — 
Worthie  to  be  a  rebell,  for  to  that 
The  multiplying  villanies  of  nature 
Doe  swarme  upon  him  —  from  the  Westerne 

Isles 
Of  kernes  and  gallowglasses  is  supply'd; 


•"IF  3  NEWEST  often  in  EL.  E. 
corresponds  to  MN.E.  'lat- 
est,' cp.  Malcolm's  "  what 's 
the  newest  griefe?"  in  IV.  3« 
174.  SERJEANT  seems  here 
to  be  a  trisyllable  but  is  a  dis- 
syllable elsewhere  in  Shak- 
spere.  SF4  Malcolm's  epithet 
HARDIE  implies  'daring/  as 
in  MN.E.  'foolhardy,'  and 
GOOD  is  an  ordinary  1 6th 
century  equivalent  of  '  brave ? 
as  in  "  good  men  "  IV.  3-  3« 
SF5  The  CAPTIVITIE  he  re- 
fers to  may  have  been  sug- 
gested by  Holinshed's  "Mac- 
dowald  [in  an  earlier  stage  of 
the  revolt]  .  .  by  mere  force 
tooke  their  capteine  Malcolme 
[not  the  king's  son,  however] 
and  after  the  end  of  the  bat- 
tell  smote  off  his  head."  The 
printer  of  FO. 2  noticedthe  lack 
of  an  unstressed  syllable  after 
"captivitie"  and  added  an- 
other "haile"  to  make  up  the 
rhythm  ;  Walker  and  Abbott 
suggested  several  botchings  of 
the  verse  into  normal  regular- 
ity ;  but  this  is  only  one  of 
numerous  instances  in  Eng- 
lish poetry — there  are  at  least 
nine  in  this  play — where  an  unstressed  impulse  is  lost  after  the  verse  pause  :  cp.  I.  1.7,  note, 
and  I.  5-  41.  'IF  6  Malcolm's  words  SAY  TO  THE  KING,  etc.,  are  not  so  stilted  as  they 
seem  to  modern  ears,  for  "say"  and  "say  to"  in  EL.  E.  were  commonly  used  of  narration, 
e.g.  "say  in  brief e  the  cause  Why  thou  departedst"  Err.  1. 1.29,  and  the  definite  article  had 
a  force  nearly  like  that  of  the  modern  possessive  pronoun,  so  that  THE  KNOWLEDGE 
stands  for  MN.E.  'your  knowledge.'  The  extra  syllable  in  SF  7  may  be  accounted  for  by 
assuming  a  common  EL.  contraction  by  which  the  pronoun  IT  is  absorbed  in  the  pre- 
ceding word,  like  "goes't"  IV.  3- 1 79,  "deny't"  III. 6. 15.  Four- wave  verses  are  not  un- 
common in  Shakspere's  blank  verse  and  are  especially  frequent  in  Macbeth.  'IF  8  The 
captain's  simile  seems  to  be  taken  from  a  swimming  match  in  which  each  of  the  contes- 
tants, worn  out  by  his  efforts  and  in  despair  of  winning  the  goal,  seeks  to  prevent  the  other 
from  getting  the  prize,  f  9  As  the  skill  of  the  swimmers  is  'obstructed'  (cp.  N.  E.  D. 
'choke'  10)  by  their  too  close  proximity,  so  in  this  BROYLE,  a  word  suggestive  of  confused 
tumult  and  'hurly-burly,'  the  too  close  quarters  of  the  combatants  prevent  all  exercise 

6 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

of  military  art.  In  Holinshed  the  name  of  the  leader  of  the  rebels  is  M  Macdowald"  ;  MAC- 
DONWALD  is  probably, as  Malone  suggested,  due  to  a  confusion  with  the"  Donwald"  spoken 
of  by  Holinshed  on  p.  149-  *ff  10  THAT  seems  to  refer  to  the  rebels'  mercilessness, 
with  TO  in  its  common  EL.  sense  of '  besides ' ;  cp.  "to  that  dauntlesse  temper  of  his  minde " 

III.  1.52.  SFI3  OF  is  used  in  the  sense  of 'by';  and  SUPPLY'D  is  the  regular  EL.E. 
military  term  for 'reinforced,' cp.  Kersey,  '  Dictionarium,'  1708,  "supply,  .  .  recruits  of 
forces";  cp.  also  John  V.3-9-  Spenser,  Globe  ed.,  pp.  639  ff-»  gives  us  a  description 
of  these  KERNES  AND  GALLOWGLASSES  (the  word  is  misprinted  "  gallowgrosses  "  in 
FO.  I)  :  "for  it  [i.e.  "the  quilted  leather  jacke"]  is  then  [i.  e.  "in  warre"]  worn  likewise 
of  a  footeman  under  a  shirte  of  mayle,  the  which  footeman  they  call  a  galloglass  .  .  And 
he  being  soe  armed,  in  a  long  shirt  of  mayle  down  to  the  calfe  of  his  legg  with  a  long  brode 
axe  in  his  hand,  was  then  pedes  gravis  armaturae."  These  gallowglasses  and  "kearne," 
light-armed  Irish  soldiers,  are  "the  most  loathsome  and  barbarous  conditions  of  any 
people  under  heaven.  They  do  use  all  the  beastly  behavior  that  may  be  ;  they  oppress  all 
men  ;  they  spoyle  as  well  the  subject  as  the  enemy,"  etc.  Eudoxus  exclaims,  "These  be 
most  villenous  conditions!"  Spenser  goes  on  to  describe  the  "frye  [an  EL.  E.  synonym 
of  'swarm']  of  rakehelle  horse-boyes"  as  especially  needing  reformation:  "for  out  of 
these  .  .  are  theyr  kearne  continually  supplyed  and  maintained."  It  would  seem,  there- 
fore, that  the  MULTIPLYING  VILLANIES  OF  NATURE  in  v.  II  are  the  'kernes  and  gal- 
lowglasses'themselves,  and  not  vicious  aspects  of  Macdonwald's  character.  SF  12  SWARME 
is  not  elsewhere  by  Shakspere  used  with  reference  to  abstract  qualities,  but  refers  to  the 
gathering  of  mobs:  e.g.  "our  peasants  .  .  swarme  About  our  squares  of  battaile"  Hen. 5 

IV.  2.  27,  "With  the  plebians  swarming  at  their  heeles  "  Hen. 5  V.  chor.  27  ;  "The  common 
people  by  numbers  swarme  to  us"  3Hen.6  IV. 2.2.    MULTIPLYING,  too,  generally  means 

'  prolific,'  not '  multiplied,'  and 
APT    T  QPRMR     11  nr\       is  used  here,  if  this  interpreta- 

AL>  I      *  oUtilNti    11  14  —  20       tion  is  the  correct  one,  as  in 

Cor.  II.  2.  82:    "Your  multi- 

And  Fortune  on  his  damned  quarry  smiling  plying  spawne  how  can  he 

Shev/d  like  a  rebell's  whore.    But  all  's  too  atter- 

weake;  SF 14  quarry  is  usually  al- 

For  brave  Macbeth  —  well  hee  deserves  that  teJed  to  "w*™*"  by  modern 

editors  ;  but  there  is  no  good 
name  reason  for  the  change,  despite 

Disdaynim*     Fortune,    with     his    brandisht     Holinshed's "rebellious quar- 

f      1  rel"    in    his    description    of 

Sieeie>  Macdowald's  rebellion.   That 

Which  smoak'd  with  bloody  execution,  quarrel, 'crossbow  bolt,' is  oc- 

Like  Valour's  minion  carv'd  out  his  passage     carnally  spelled 'quarry'  in 

1  ill  hee  lac  d  the  Slave:  and  that  quarrel, 'small  square 

window  pane,'  is  often  simi- 
larly spelled,  is  not  surprising:  for  both  these  words  had  in  EL.  E.  doublet  forms  in  -y. 
But  quarrel,  MN.  E.  'quarrel,'  had  not.  QUARRY  in  the  sense  of  'heaps  of  slain'  is  also 
found  in  Cor.  1. 1.202,  "  I 'de  make  a  quarrie  With  thousands  of  these  quarter'd  slaves": 
properly  the  word  describes  a  heap  of  slaughtered  game,  and  the  association  is  not  so 
entirely  inapposite  here  as  to  lead  to  the  inference  that  it  is  a  misprint  for  "quarrel."  A 
somewhat  similar  expression  is  found  in  Drayton's  Barrons  Warres,  1605,11.57:  "O 
ill  did  Fate  these  noble  armes  bestow  Which  as  a  quarry  on  the  soilde  earth  lay,  Seized 
on  by  conquest  as  a  glorious  pray."  DAMN  in  the  sense  of  'to  doom,'  'ruin,'  'destroy' 
without  the  connotation  'doom  to  everlasting  perdition'  is  sufficiently  common  in  EL.E. 
to   make    no   difficulty;    cp.    Oth.  I.  3.   359?   Iago  to  Roderigo,   "If   thou    wilt    needs 

7 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

damne  thy  selfe,  do  it  a  more  delicate  [i.  e.  pleasant]  way  then  drowning."  *IFl5 
SHEW'D  (i,  e.  'appeared/  'looked/  cp.  I.  3-  54)  in  the  preterite  tense  is  awkward  with 
the  IS  preceding  it.  But  in  M.E.  and  EL. E.  the  historical  present  and  past  tenses  are 
frequently  used  together  in  the  same  narrative.  Here,  too,  SHEW'D  seems  to  point 
to  the  first  stage  of  the  battle,  now  past.  ALL'S  TOO  WEAKE  presents  a  similar 
inconsequence  of  tenses  if  ALL  ?S  is  to  be  taken  for  'All  is.'  It  may  possibly,  however, 
be  the  contracted  form  of  'All  was/  like  "There's"  for  'There  was'  in  II.  2.  23-  Such 
forms  were  not  uncommon  in  EL.  E.,  cp.  Jonson,  '  Sejanus/  1640,  p.  338,  uAgr.  Dying? 
Ner.  That  's  strange !  Agr.  Yo'  were  with  him  yesternight,"  where  no  contraction  is 
possible  but  'you're.'  *ff  18  SMOAK'D  is  here  used  in  its  well-nigh  obsolete  sense  of 
'steamed'  (though  we  still  say  "smoking  hot")  ;  cp.  "Thy  murd'rous  faulchion  smoaking 
in  his  blood"  Rich.3  1.2.94.  EXECUTION:  in  EL.  E.  the  suffixes  -sion,  -Hon,  -tience 
can  be  either  dissyllabic  as  in  M.  E.  or  monosyllabic  as  in  MN.E.  The  word  refers  to 
the  wielding  of  any  weapon  or  instrument;  cp.  "  In  fellest  manner  execute  [i.  e.  'wield/ 
N.  E.  D.  'execute'  lb]  your  armes"  Tro.&Cr.  V.  7.  6,  where  to  make  MN.E.  sense 
many  editors  change  "armes"  to  the  weak  "aims"!  *ff  20  In  TILL  HE  FAC'D  THE 
SLAVE  we  seem  to  have  a  verse  beginning  with  a  doubled  unstressed  impulse ;  such 
verses  are  not  common  in  Macbeth;  there  is  one  in  1.2.46,  and  another  in  III.  4. 
133-  Lines  of  less  than  the  five  normal  waves  occur  frequently  in  EL.  blank  verse, 
and  this  one  is  well  adapted  to  a  wounded  soldier's  narrative.  But  perhaps  LIKE 
VALOUR'S    MINION     (three 

syllables),  v.  19,  was  an  after       Ap'T    T  9PPMP    TT  0T      0A 

insertion  which  broke  in  two       AL>  l      l  SOU  IN  C    1 1  2  1-24 

a  verse  originally  beginning 

with  carv'd  and  ending  Which  nev  rshooke  hands  nor  bad  tarwellto  him 
with  slave.  Till  he  unseam'd  him  from  thenave  to  th'chops 

<1F2I  which  refers  to  Mac-     And  fix'd  his  bead  uPon  our  battlements. 

beth,  being  an  instance  of  the  KTNC 

common    EL.    usage    of   the       r\        i  i 

relative  pronoun  as  a  con-     ^  valiant  cousin !   worthy  gentleman ! 

nective,   'and   he';   cp.    1,5. 

37,  and  III.  1.85  where  "which"  stands  for  'and  this.'  SHOOKE  HANDS  seems  to 
refer  to  the  formal  preliminaries  of  a  fight,  as  in  Sidney's  Arcadia,  1590,  p.  267: 
"  After  the  terrible  salutation  of  warlike  noyse,  the  shaking  of  handes  was  with 
sharpe  weapons,"  with  NOR  in  its  common  sense  of  '  and  not.'  "  Shook  hands  "  in  the 
sense  of  '  took  leave  of '  is  usually  found  in  EL.  E.  in  connection  with  abstract  notions,  e.  g. 
"shake  hands  with  chastitie"  '  Euphues/  Arber,  p.  75  (quoted  in  CI.  Pr.),  "with  folly" 
Middleton's  Witch  (quoted  by  Manly),  "with  earth,"  z.  e.  with  earthly  things,  Quarles, 
'Emblems'  (quoted  by  Cent.  Diet.),  "with  virtue"  Cooper,  'Thesaurus'  s.v.  nuntius. 
^22  NAVE,  'navel/  seems  to  be  the  right  word  here,  though  this  anomalous  form  has 
not  yet  been  found  in  EL.  E.  That  the  two  words  "navel,"  M.E.  "navele,"  and  "nave," 
M.E.  "nave,"  'the  centre  of  a  wheel/  were  confused  in  EL.  E.  is  shown  by  Massinger's 
use  of  "navel"  for  "nave"  in  "Circle  him  round  with  death  and  if  he  stir  His  body  be  the 
navel  to  the  wheel  In  which  your  rapiers  like  so  many  spokes  Shall  meet  and  fix  themselves" 
'  Pari,  of  Love' II.  3  (Cent.  Diet.).  That  the  expression  was  more  or  less  familiar  to  EL.  ears 
is  shown  by  Nash's,  1594,  "Then  from  the  navel  to  the  throat  at  once  He  ript  old  Priam" 
(quoted  from  Steevens's  note).  In  Holinshed  Macbeth  finds  Macdowald  already  dead  on 
taking  his  castle.  CHOPS,  an  EL.  form  of  MN.E.  "chaps,"  'jaws/  was  used  of  persons 
as  well  as  of  animals  in  Shakspere's  time.  SF  24  As  to  Macbeth's  cousinship  with  Dun- 
can, cp.  Hoi.,  p.  168  :  "After  Malcolme  succeeded  his  nephue  Duncane  [the  Duncan  of  the 
play]  the  sonne  of  his  daughter  Beatrice :  for  Malcome  had  two  daughters,  the  one,  which 
was  this  Beatrice,  being  given  in  manage  unto  one  Abbanath  Crinen  .  .  bare  of  that  mariage 

8 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  I 


SCENE  II 


25-35 


the  foresaid  Duncane.  The 
other  called  Doada,  was  mar- 
ied  unto  Sinell  [cp.  I.  3-  71] 
the  thane  of  Glammis,  by 
whom  she  had  issue  one  Mac- 
beth, a  valiant  gentleman." 


CAPTAINB 
As  whence  the  sunne  'gins  his  reflection 
Shipwracking  stormes  and  direfull  thunders, 
So  from  that  spring  whence  comfort  seem'd     The  figure  in  <1F  25  ff.  is  a  refer- 

ence  to  storms  rising  out  of  the 
east  and  not  to  the  storms  of 


the  vernal  equinox,  a  curious 
interpretation  tortured  out  of 
the  Latin  meaning  of  re-  and 
flectio,  '  turning   back.'     RE- 


to  come 
Discomfort  swells.     Marke,  King  of  Scot 

land,  marke: 
No  sooner  justice  had,  with  valour  arm'd, 
CompelFd   these    skipping   kernes   to    trust     'flection  in  el.  e.  is  used  of 

their  heeles,  directshining,cp.''  May  never 

_  xt  11  •  j  glorious     sunne     reflex    his 

But  the  Norweyan  lord,  surveying  vantage,  beames  Upon  the  countrey 
Withfurbushtarmesandnewsupplyesof  men  where  you  make  abode" 
Began  a  fresh  assault. 

KING 

Dismay'd  not  this 
Our  capitaines,  Macbeth  and  Banquoh? 

CAPTAINE 

Yes— 
As  sparrowes  eagles,  or  the  hare  the  lyon. 


I  Hen.6V.4.87 ;  "Mostradiant 
and  refulgent  Lampe  of  light .  . 
from  thee  Reflect  [i.  e.  shine] 
those  rayes  that  have  en- 
lightnedmee"Quarles,'Sion's 
Sonets,'  1630,  V.  The  same 
metaphor  is  found  in  2Hen.4 
IV.  4.  34,  35,  "As  humorous 
as  winter  and  as  sudden  As 
flawes  congealed  in  the  spring 
of  day,"  which  also  shows  the 


EL.  use  of  SPRING,  v.  27,  in 
the  sense  of  *  sunrise' :  inthe'dayspringfrom  on  high' of  Luke  1. 78  this  meaning  is  still  pre- 
served. That  Shakspere  intends  us  to  think  of  Sweno  as  coming  to  the  aid  of  the  Scots  and 
then  turning  on  them  is  evident  from  the  WHENCE  COMFORT  SEEM'D  TO  COME,  i.  e. 
whence  help  was  to  have  come,  for  SEEM  in  EL.  E.  often  connotes  an  immediate  or  near 
futurity,  'was  on  the  point  of,'  as  here  and  in  v.  47  below.  SF  26  After  THUNDERS  mod- 
ern editors,  following  Pope,  supply  'break';  but  'storms  break'  and  'thunders  break' 
are  neither  of  them  Shaksperian  locutions.  The  word  which  Shakspere  generally  uses  in 
connection  with  thunder  is  "  bursts,"  cp.  Lear  III.  2.  46,  "such  bursts  of  horrid  thunder," 
and  this  would  also  aptly  describe  the  coming  of  a  sudden  flaw.  The  verse,  however,  does 
not  really  need  a  patch  either  to  make  sense,  for  with  ideas  of  motion  the  verb  is  often 
omitted  in  M.E.  and  EL.  E.  where  it  can  be  supplied  from  the  context,  or  to  make  metre, 
for  four-wave  verses  are  common  in  Macbeth:  in  III.  I.  103  and  1.4.  14  are  two  instances  ; 
in  the  latter  the  verse  ends  with  a  falling  impulse  as  here.  *ff  27  COMFORT,  still  used  in 
the  sense  of  '  aid/  '  support '  in  our  phrase  '  give  comfort  to  the  enemy,'  was  common  in 
EL.  E.  with  this  signification  :  cp.  IV.  3-  193  ;  SF  28  DISCOMFORT,  likewise,  connoted  the 
negative  of  this  idea  and  corresponds  to  MN.  E.  '  undoing,' '  disaster ' :  cp.  "  Should  I  stay 
longer,  It  would  be  my  disgrace  and  your  discomfort"  IV.  2.  29.  *TF  29  NO  SOONER— 
BUT  is  EL.  E.  idiom  for  '  no  sooner— than,'  cp.  N.  E.  D.  '  but '  1 6  ;  but  in  MN.  E.  the  verb 
usually  precedes  the  subject ;  the  same  word  order  occurs  in  1.2.  63,  "  No  more  that  Thane 
of  Cawdor  shall  deceive,"  etc.  SF  31  SURVEYING  VANTAGE  seems  to  mean  'seeing  his 
opportunity,' cp.  N.  E.  D.  'advantage'  4  and  Cym.  1.3-24;  but  SURVEY  in  the  sense 'dis- 
cern '  is  not  elsewhere  found  in  EL.  E.     In  Rich.  3  V.  3.  15,  "  Let  us  survey  the  vantage  of 

9 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


the  field,"  "vantage"  refers  to  opportunity  of  place  rather  than  to  opportunity  of  time, 
and  "  survey  "  has  its  usual  sense  of  '  view.'  *1F  33  There  are  two  forms  of  the  word  cap- 
tain in  EL.  E.  as  in  M.  E.,  one  "  captain  "  and  the  other  CAPITAINE ;  both  forms  continue 
to  be  written  through  the  1 7th  century,  and  the  latter,  the  trisyllabic,  is  of  constant 
occurrence  in  books  of  Shakspere's  time,  e.  g.  Halle's  Chronicle,  Henry  VIII,  292  b, 
Cooper's  Thesaurus,  etc. ;  cp.,  too,  Marston  as  quoted  in  Warton-Hazlitt  IV,  p.  417,  "  with 
farewell,  capitaine,  kind  heart, 

ACT  I  SCENE   II 


adew  !  "  There  can  be  but 
little  doubt  that  here  and 
in  3Hen.6lV.7.30  Shakspere 
used  the  CAPITAINE  form, 
though  the  printer  of  the 
Folio  has  set  the  dissyllabic 
word. 

SF37  CRACKS  seems  here  to 
mean  'shots,'  but  this  pas- 
sageisas  yet  theonlyevidence 
that  has  been  cited  for  such  a 
meaning  in  EL.  E. :  its  usual 
sense  is  'crash.'  This  double 
charging  of  pieces  is  jokingly 
referred  to  by  Falstaff  when  he 
hears  the  good  news  of  Prince 
Hal's  accession:  "Pistol," 
he  says,  u  I  will  double  charge 
thee  with  dignities"  2Hen.4  V. 
3.130.  SF38  SO  THEY,  which 
makes  the  verse  one  of  six 
waves  with  the  caesura  after 
THEY,  is  here  printed  as  in 
FO.  I  ;  some  editors  append  it 
to  v.  37,  others  make  a  sepa- 
rate line  of  it.  But  such  ex- 
pedients help  little.  There  are 
many  six-wave  verses  in  Shakspere  and  the  EL.  poets;  whether  they  were  due  to 
carelessness  or  were  a  permissible  variation  of  the  blank-verse  structure  has  not  yet  been 
made  out.  Such  expressions  as  DOUBLY  REDOUBLED  — this  one  occurs  in  Rich.  2  I.3.8O— 
are  frequent  in  EL.  E.,  but  now  give  offence  by  their  tautology.  SF  39  The  captain's  know- 
ledge of  the  battle  seems  to  end  at  this  point :  but  his  closing  words  are  not  so  abruptly 
broken  off  as  they  seem  to  be  in  MN.E.,  for  I  CANNOT  TELL  is  1 6th  century  idiom  for  'I 
do  not  know  what  to  say,'  cp.  Spenser's  Faerie  Queene  I.  8.  34,  and  would  be  so  under- 
stood by  an  EL.  audience.  EXCEPT  is  used  in  its  EL.  sense  of  ' unless,'  cp.  N.E.D.,  and 
MEMORIZE  is  'make  memorable,'  cp.  Hen.  8  III.  2.  52.  We  have  precisely  the  same  sort 
of  sentence  in  Tarn,  of  Shr.  IV.  4.  91  '  "I  cannot  tell,  except  they  are  busied  about  a 
counterfeit  assurance,"  where  the  punctuation  of  FO.  I  — and  it  is  the  only  authority  for  the 
passage  —  shows  that  its  "expect"  is  a  misprint  for  "except,"  noticed  and  corrected  by  FO.2, 
though  modern  editions  strangely  return  to  "expect."  Thissentence  istherefore  printedhere 
asit  stands  in  FO.  I,  without  the  dash  after  "tell."  ^43  SO  — AS  is  a  regular  M.E. and  EL.  E. 
idiom  corresponding  to  MN.  E.  'as — as.'  The  stage  direction  of  the  Folio,  ENTER  ROSSE 
AND  ANGUS,  which  follows  the  captain's  exit, is  altered  to  "  Enter  RoSs"  by  modern  editors 
and  placed  after  WHO  COMES  HERE?  But  Rosse  and  Angus  in  I.  3.  88  together  bring 
news  of  Macbeth's  promotion.     That  Angus  does  not  speak  is  no  evidence  for  his  not 

10 


36-45 

If  I  say  sooth,  I  must  report  they  were 

As  cannons  over-charg'd  with  double  cracks, 

So  they  doubly  redoubled  stroakes  upon  the 

foe: 
Except    they    meant    to    bathe    in    reeking 

wounds, 
Or  memorize  another  Golgotha, 
I  cannot  tell. 
But  I  am  faint;  my  gashes  cry  for  helpe. 

KING 
So  well  thy  words  become  thee  as  thy  wounds ; 
They  smack  of  honor  both.      Goe  get  him 

surgeons. 

EXIT  CAPTAINE   ATTENDED 
ENTER    ROSSE    AND    ANGUS 

Who  comes  here? 

MALCOLME 
The  worthy  Thane  of  Rosse! 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


being  in  the  scene  :  Donalbaine  (see  scene  direction)  does  not  speak  at  all,  and  Lenox  only 
once.  It  is  likely,  therefore,  that  Shakspere  intended  them  both  to  enter  here  as  the  Folio 
records,  Rosse  somewhat  in  advance  and  alone  taking  part  in  the  dialogue.  In  EL.  stage 
directions  "Enter"  means  'begins  to  take  part  in  the  action'  and  not  necessarily  in  the 
dialogue.  There  is,  therefore,  no  occasion  for  changing  either  the  form  or  the  position  of 
the  stage  direction.  SF  45  Malcolm's  words  seem  to  be  rather  an  exclamation  than  an  an- 
swer  to   Duncan's  question  ; 

ACT  I  SCENE  II 


46-53 


So 


king! 


the  Folio  has  a  period  after 
Rosse,  but  its  printer  rarely 
uses  the  exclamation-point, 
e.g.  GOD  SAVE  THE  KING, 
v.  47,  is  followed  by  a  period. 
EL.E.WORTHYhaspartofthe 
connotation  of  MN.E.' brave,' 
'valiant,'  as  it  had  in  M.  E. 

SF46  Either  WHAT  A  HASTE 
or  "what  haste"  is  idiomatic 
EL.  E. ;  but  two  unstressed 
syllables  at  the  beginning  of  a 
verse  are  of  comparatively  rare 
occurrence  ;  and  it  was  prob- 
ably for  this  reason  that  the 
editor  of  FO.  2  dropped  out  the 
article.  SF47  SEEMES  is  here 
used,  like  "seem'd"  in  v.  27 
above  and  "  seeme"  in  I.  5.  30 
below,  todenotesomethingim- 
mediately  imminent,  and  cor- 
responds to  MN.E.  'is  going 
to,'  'is  about  to,'  'is  on  the 
point  of.'  Sidney,  'Arcadia,' 
p.  291,  uses  much  the  same 
words  as  those  Shakspere 
puts  into  the  mouth  of  Lenox  : 
"the  messenger  came  in  with  letters  in  his  hand  and  hast  in  his  countenence"  ;  cp.  also, 
"And  that  [i.e.  if]  our  drift  [i.e.  intention]  looke  through  our  bad  performance"  Ham. 
IV. 7. 152,  and  "The  businesse  of  this  man  lookes  out  of  him"  Ant.&Cl.  V.  1. 50  (cited  by  CI. 
Pr.).  SF48  In  M.E.  and  early  New  English  (e.  N.E.)  the  imperfect  tense  often  expresses 
action  which  in  MN.E.  is  represented  by  the  perfect, as  CAM'ST,  here  ;  the  illustrations  given 
by  Koch, '  Engl.  Gram.,'  p.  40,  could  be  greatly  multiplied,  reaching  back  to  Chaucer  and  for- 
ward through  the  1 7th  century.  SF  49  To  an  Englishman  of  Shakspere's  time  the  mere  un- 
furling of  foreign  banners  on  English  soil  was  an  insult  to  heaven  :  in  John  V.  1. 69  ff.,  speak- 
ing of  "arms  invasive,"  the  Bastard  says,  "Shall  a  beardlesse  boy  .  .  flesh  his  spirit  [i.e. 
courage]  in  a  warre-like  soyle,  Mocking  the  ayre  with  colours  idlely  [i.e.  foolishly,  rashly] 
spread?"  An  alliance  of  a  foreign  power  with  discontented  elements  in  Ireland  and  Scotland 
was  much  more  than  a  dramatic  situation  to  Shakspere's  audience,  and  the  blood  of  more 
than  one  of  them  had  already  run  "  cold  "  at  the  thought  of  it.  Rosse,  of  course,  represents 
the  appalling  situation  in  present  time,  just  as  does  the  wounded  captain  in  v.  1 3.  SF  50 
For  FANNE  OUR  PEOPLE  COLD  cp.  "Let  .  .  your  enemies  with  nodding  of  their  plumes 
fan  you  into  despaire"  Cor.  III.  3- 126.  *1F5I  TERRIBLE  belongs  toa  large  class  of  EL.  words 
in  which  an  unstressed  syllable — usually  one  containing  a  liquid  or  nasal — preceded  by 
a  full  stressed  syllable  and  followed  by  one  of  secondary  stress,  was  lost,  and  the  following 

II 


LENOX 

What  a  haste  lookes  through  his  eyes! 

should  he  looke 
That  seemes  to  speake  things  strange. 

ROSSE 

God  save  the 
KING 
Whence  cam'st  thou,  worthy  thane  ? 
ROSSE 
From  Fiffe,  great  king, 
Where   the    Norweyan    banners    flowt    the 

skie, 
And  fanne  our  people  cold. 
Norway  himselfe,  with  terrible  numbers, 
Assisted  by  that  most  disloyall  traytor 
The   Thane   of   Cawdor,   began    a   dismall 
conflict, 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

secondarily  stressed  syllable  reduced  to  an  unstressed  syllable.  These  words  occur  in  the 
best  literary  idiom  of  the  EL.  period;  many  printers  indicate  the  loss  of  this  syllable  both 
in  prose  and  poetry  by  an  apostrophe,  showing  that  it  was  not  mere  poetic  license.  Some 
of  these  syncopated  words  are  still  heard,  like  "med'cine,"  "parlous,"  ('perilous,'  with  the 
further  change  of  e  to  a),  "nat'ral,"  but  are  recognized  as  vulgar;  others,  like  "fev'rish"  and 
"tott'ring,"  are  in  constant  unquestioned  use  ;  while  innumerable  others,  like  "visited"  and 
" enemy,"  have  entirely  lost  their  syncopated  forms.  *ff  52  ASSI STED  does  not  mean  neces- 
sarily that  the  Thane  of  Cawdor  stood  fighting  by  the  side  of  the  King  of  Norway :  he 
merely  furthers  the  designs  of  the  invaders,  as  the  Host  "assists"  Fenton  uin  his  purpose" 
in  Merry  W.  IV.  6.  3  ;  the  details  are  left  to  the  imagination.  The  only  interest  that  the 
fact  has  for  the  tragedy  of  Macbeth  lies  in  the  confirmation  which  it  gives  to  the  first  part 
of  the  witches'  prophecy,  and  Shakspere  would  have  been  the  less  Shakspere  had  he  stopped 
to  describe  the  treachery  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  historical  student.  SF53  In  the  DIS- 
MALL  CONFLICT,  as  in  the  "dismall  fight"  which  the  messenger  describes  to  the  Bishop 
of  Winchester  in  I  Hen. 6  I.  I.  I05r  "dismal"  is  used  in  its  obsolete  sense  of  'disastrous.' 
The  word  was    originally   a 

ACT    I  SCENE    II  54-67 


phrase  meaning  'an  unlucky 
day, 'and  in  Shakspere's  time 
still  retained  a  part  of  this  M.E. 
connotation  of  misfortune. 

SF  54  THAT  is  a  strengthen- 
ing particle  with  M.E.  and 
EL.  E.  conjunctive  adverbs 
like  "till,"  "when,"  "if,"  etc., 
still  familiar  to  us  in  Bible 
English.  Rosse  calls  Mac- 
beth BELLONA'S  BRIDE- 
GROOM E,  as  the  wounded 
soldier  describes  him  as  "  Val- 
our's darling,"  picturing  him 
as  one  who  had  newly  taken 
the  goddess  of  war  for  his 
bride.  The  classical  incon- 
sistency of  making  Bellona, 
the  maid  of  war,  even  momen- 
tarily a  bride — that  Shak- 
spere did  not  do  it  out  of  ig- 
norance is  fortunately  evident 
fromlHen.4IV.I.II2ff.  —  has 
not  escaped  the  criticism  of 
Shakspere  scholars, who  offer 
various  mitigating  explana- 
tions. LAPTIN  PROOFE  car- 
ries out  the  picture  of  this  new 
god  of  war,  another  "  mailed 
Mars"(cp.  lHen.4IV.  I.II6) 
with  his  "armours  forg'd  for 
proofeeterne"(cp.  Ham.  II. 2. 
512).  SF55  In  Shakspere's 
time  COMPARISON  had  the 
connotation  of  '  rivalry/  a 
shade   of   meaning   which   is 


Till  that  Bellona's  bridegroome,  lapt  in  proofer 
Confronted  him  with  selfe-comparisons, 
Point  against  point,  rebellious  arme  'gainst 

arme 
Curbing  his  lavish  spirit;   and,  to  conclude, 
The  victorie  fell  on  us, — 

KING 

Great  happinesse!  — 

ROSSE 

that  now  Sweno, 
The  Norwayes  king,  craves  composition; 
Nor  would  we  deigne  him  buriall  of  his  men 
Till  he  disbursed  at  Saint  Colmes  ynch 
Ten  thousand  dollars  to  our  generall  use. 

KING 
No  more  that  Thane  of  Cawdor  shall  deceive 
Our    bosome   interest  :   goe   pronounce    his 

present  death, 
And  with  his  former  title  greet  Macbeth. 

ROSSE 
I  'le  see  it  done. 

KING 
hath    lost,    noble   Macbeth    hath 


What   he 
wonne. 


EXEUNT 


12 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

prominent  here,  and  SELFE  in  EL.  E.  was  frequently  used  as  the  first  element  of  a 
compound  word  whose  connotation  was  a  property  of  the  subject  of  the  thought ;  cp. 
"selfe-bounty"  Oth.  III.  3-  200,  "selfe-danger"  Cym.  III.  4.  149,  and  Jonson's  "thou  art 
not  covetous  of  least  selfe-fame"  'Epigrammes'  II,  ed.  1640.  *ff56  That  POINT  is  a 
metonymy  for  'sword'  is  evident  from  "Turne  face  to  face  and  bloody  point  to  point" 
John  II.  I.  390,  and  "  How  often  he  had  met  you  sword  to  sword"  Cor.  III.  1. 13-  The 
text  follows  the  punctuation  of  the  Folio,  which  makes  good  sense,  and  the  comma  is 
not  put  after  REBELLIOUS  as  in  many  modern  editions.  (FO.  I  has  a  comma  also  after 
ARME,  which  has  been  removed,  for  in  FO.  I  a  descriptive  participial  clause,  as  is  usual  in 
EL.  printing,  is  almost  invariably  pointed  off  from  its  noun:  e.g.  "And  the  late  dignities, 
Heap'd  up  to  them"  I.  6.  19,  and  "we  shall  have  cause  of  state,  Craving  us  jointly" 
III.  I.  34,  and  "His  silver  skinne,  lac'd  with  his  golden  blood"  II.  3-  118.)  As  HIS  is 
the  EL. E.  equivalent  of  MN.E.  'its/  and  SPIRIT  a  psychological  term  for  the  physical 
energy  supposed  to  reside  in  the  members  of  the  body,  HIS  probably  refers  to  REBEL- 
LIOUS ARME  ;  i.  e.  'the  arm  of  the  King  of  Norway,  now  fighting  for  the  rebels,  against 
the  arm  of  Macbeth,  curbing  its  unbridled  strength.'  SF57  LAVISH  in  MN.E.  is  usually 
limited  to  unrestrained  expenditure  or  prodigal  giving ;  in  EL.  E.  it  had  a  far  more  general 
application,  e.g.  "  his  lavish  tongue"  lHen.6  II.  5.47,  "lavish  manners"  2Hen.4  IV. 4. 64. 
458  GREAT  HAPPINESSE  means  'what  good  fortune!'  cp.  Oth.  III.  4.  108,  where 
Cassius's  meeting  with  Desdemona  provokes  Iago  to  exclaim,  "  Loe,  the  happinesse ! " 
The  line  is  interjectory  and  the  interrupted  verse  is  continued  in  THAT  NOW,  etc. 
THAT  in  EL.E.  often  expresses  result,  'so  that,'  as  here.  SF59  NORWAYES  is  EL. E. 
for  '  Norwegians 'and  not  a  mistake  for  '  Norway' ;  cp.  "English,  Scots,  Danes,  Norwayes, 
they  Foure  mighty  people"  Slatyer,  '  Paleealbion,'  1 6 1 9t  p.  219-  COMPOSITION  means 
'terms  of  surrender,'  cp.  "Thus  we  are  agreed;  I  crave  our  composition  may  be  written 
And  seal'd  betweene  us,"  Ant.&Cl.  II. 6.58;  the  word  has  five  syllables,  cp.  v.  18.  SF6I 
SAINT  COLMES  YNCH  ("inch"  is  a  Gaelic  word  for  a  small  island)  is  now  Inchcolm 
in  the  Firth  of  Forth  opposite  Leith.  SF  62  Minsheu,  1617,  says  the  DOLLAR  was  a 
"  Dutch  coine  worth  about  foure  shillings."  Shakspere  may  have  had  in  mind,  however, 
the  "rigs  dollar"  of  the  northern  countries,  which  the  visit  of  Christian  IV  to  the  court 
of  King  James  in  1606  had  recently  made  familiar  to  Londoners.  TO  OUR  GENERALL 
USE  is  EL.E.  for  'to  defray  our  state  expenses,'  cp.  "Whose  ransomes  did  the  generall 
coffers  fill"  Caes. III. 2.  94,  and  "Hath  here  distrayn'd  the  tower  to  his  use"  lHen.6  1,3.61. 
*ff  64  In  EL.E.  BOSOME  was  used  as  an  adjective  meaning  'close,' 'intimate,' and  hints  at 
an  intimate  relation  between  the  treacherous  thane  and  Duncan  (OUR,  of  course,  is  the 
majesty  plural).  PRESENT  DEATH  is  'immediate  death,'  cp.  "  Martius  is  worthy  of  pres- 
ent death"  Cor.  III.  I.  211.  The  scene  closes  with  a  couplet,  a  common  practice  with 
Elizabethan  dramatists. 


INTRODUCTORY    NOTE   TO    SCENE    III 

Scene  III  resumes  the  falling  lyric  rhythm  of  Scene  I ;  now  running  lightly  along  with 
no  secondarily  stressed  syllables,  now  swirling  back  on  itself  in  short  intervals  of  rising 
rhythm,  as  in  vv.  II,  12,  13,  17,  and  18,  now  poised  for  a  moment,  as  in  "  Looke  what  I 
have,"  v.  26,  then  madly  rushing  on  again  to  be  caught  back  in  vv.  30  and  31-  Then  the 
final  rush  of  the  chorus,  "about,  about,"  ending  with  the  three  verses  whose  rhythm  is 
"Peace!  the  charme's  wound  up,"  a  wonderfully  fitting  cadence  to  the  series.  The 
witchery  of  such  rhythm  is  paralleled  only  by  that  of  Puck's  charm  in  Midsummer  Night's 
Dream  III.  2.  148  ff.  And  yet,  with  the  strange  obliquity  of  judgement  which  sometimes 
besets  Shakspere  scholarship,  these  verses  have  been  thought  unShaksperian. 

13 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SCENE  III  :    A    HEATH:    THUNDER:    ENTER   THE   THREE   WITCHES 


*ff  I  Jonson,  in  a  note  to  his 
'Masque  of  Queenes,'  1 609, 
tells  us:  "This  is  also  sol- 
emne  [i.  e.  part  of  the  ritual] 
in  their  witchcraft,  to  be  ex- 
amined,either  by  the  Divill,  or 
their  Dame,  at  their  meetings, 
of  what  mischief  they  have 
done  and  what  they  can  con- 
fer ['contribute']  to  a  future 
hurt,"subjoiningreferencesto 
the  classical  literature  of  de- 
monology.  Shakspere  makes 
his  witches  interrogate  one 
another,  omitting  the  dame 
features  altogether  (see  note 
on  III. 5« 2).  Jonson  makes 
them  "sisters,"  but  Shak- 
sperealway  s  keeps  in  the  back- 
ground their  norn  character : 
to  him  they  are  the  "weyard 
sisters,"  the  Three  Sisters  of 


FIRST  WITCH 
HERE  hast  thou  beene,  sister? 
SECOND  WITCH.    Killing  swine. 
THIRD    WITCH.      Sister,    where 

thou  ? 
FIRST  WITCH 
A  savior's  wife  had  chestnuts  in  her  lappe, 
And  mouncht  and  mouncht  and  mouncht: 

'Give  me/  quoth  I. 
'Aroynt  thee,  witch!'  the  rumpe-fed  ronyon 

cryes. 
Her  husband's  to  Aleppo  gone, 
Master  o'  thf  Tiger  ; 
But  in  a  syve  I  'le  thither  sayle, 
And,  like  a  rat  without  a  tayle, 
I  *le  doe,  I  fle  doe,  and  I  fle  doe. 


Destiny.  SF  2  Gifford  in  his  Dialogue  concerning  Witches,  1 603,  tells  us  that  their  powers  are 
"  when  they  are  offended  with  any  .  .  to  hurt  them  in  their  bodies,  yea,  to  kill  them,  and  to 
kill  their  cattell."  SF  5  The  form  MOUNCH/  to  chew  with  closed  lips,'  is  not  uncommon  in 
EL.E.,  cp.  "  Mounch-present,"  Awdley,  'The  XXV  orders  of  Knaves,'  E.  E.  T.  S.,  p.  14. 
GIVE  ME  is  EL.E.  for  'give  it  to  me':  Juliet  asks  the  Friar  for  the  vial  with  "Give  me, 
give  me,  O  tell  me  not  of  feare"  in  Rom.&Jul.  IV.  1. 121.  SF  6  AROYNTTHEEis  evidently 
an  adjuration  to  a  witch,  meaning  '  begone ' ;  the  word  is  used  also  in  the  same  sense 
in  Lear  1 1 1. 4. 129,  "aroynt  thee,  witch,  aroynt  thee!"  But  the  locution  has  not  yet 
been  found  elsewhere  in  EL.E.,  cp.  N.  E.  D.s.v.  RUMPE-FED  seems  to  be  the  equiva- 
lent of  Cotgrave's  "  hanchu,  bumme-growne,  great  hipt";  with  FED  in  its  EL.  sense  of 
'fatted':  "fed  calfe  "  in  Coverdale's  version  corresponds  to  the  "fatted  calf"  of  Luke 
XV.  27,  cp.  N.  E.  D.  'fed'  b.  It  may,  however,  mean  'fed  on  rumps,'  cp.  "  beane  fed" 
Mids.  II.  I.  45,  and  "  Had  he  [i.  e.  my  father]  set  me  to  grammer  schole  .  .  instead  of 
treading  corontoes  and  making  fidlers  fat  with  rumps  of  capon  I  had  by  this  time  read 
homilyes"  Dekker,  '  Knights  Conjuring/  Percy  Soc,  p.  3L  The  abusive  RONYON  origi- 
nally meant  'scurvy  person.'  In  Merry  W.  IV.  2.193,  Ford,  who  takes  the  disguised 
Falstaff  for  a  witch,  cries  "Out  of  my  doore  you  witch  .  .  you  poulcat,  you  runnion." 
*ff7  HER  .  .  GONE,  MASTER  .  .  TIGER  seem  to  be  intended  for  two  verses,  though 
printed  as  one  in  the  Folio.  In  O'  TH'  appears  a  common  EL.  contraction  for  '  of  the  '  that 
counts  as  but  one  verse  impulse ;  the  definite  article  is  enclitic,  as  is  shown  by  the  EL. 
printing  "  ithe,"  a  similar  contraction  for  'in  the,'  and  "  tothe,"  a  similar  contraction  for 
'to  the.'  These  contract  forms  are  not  peculiar  to  poetry  as  in  MN.E.,  but  are  found  in 
EL.  prose  as  well.  Collier  cites  an  account  of  a  voyage  to  ALEPPO  in  a  ship  called  the 
TIGER  of  London  in  1583  as  given  by  Hakluyt  II,  pp.  247,  251,  which  seems  to  be  more 
than  a  mere  coincidence,  though    Tiger  is  a  common  ship-name  in  the   1 6th  and    1 7th 

14 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


centuries.  SF  8  That  witches  went  to  sea  in  sieves  was  a  popular  belief  in  the  1 6th  cen- 
tury. The  form  "sive,"  "  syve,"  is  common  in  EL.E. ;  it  is  our  modern  spelling  that  is 
anomalous.  *ff9  Steevens,  1793,  states  that  it  was  a  belief  of  the  times  that  though  a 
witch  could  assume  the  form  of  any  animal  she  pleased,  the  tail  would  be  wanting ;  but 
unfortunately  he  gives  no  evidence  of  this  popular  superstition.     SF  10    DOE  seems  to  be 

used  vaguely  here  for  '  work 


ACT  I 


SCENE    III 


11-26 


mischief/  like  the  MN.  E. "  I  '11 
do  him  !  "  The  thrice  repeated 
threat  has  a  peculiar  solem- 
nity, imitating  \hz  fiat,  fiat,  fiat 
of  an  excommunication  writ. 

*ff  1 1  Her  witch  sisters  prom- 
ise her  winds,  which  they  were 
popularly  supposed  to  con- 
trol, cp.  "The  witches  raise 
tempests, "etc. ,Gifford,'Dial.' 
p.  74.  Burton  in  his 'Anat.  of 
Mel.'  says  that u  nothing  is  so 
familiar  as  for  witches  and 
sorcerers  in  Scandinavia  to 
sell  winds  to  mariners  and 
cause  tempests."  WINDE  in 
EL.E.  rhymed  with  KINDE. 
<ff  14  OTHER  is  the  EL.  plural, 
and  that  BLOW  is  used  in  the 
sense  of  '  blow  upon  T  seems 
evident  from  " Ayre,  quoth  he, 
thy  cheekes  may  blowe" 
L.L.L.  IV.  3. 109,  though  this 
sense  is  not  given  in  N.E.D. 
save  in  the  phrases  "to  blow 
one's  nails  or  fingers "  and 
"blowthefire. "  Many  changes 
have  been  proposed  to  avoid 
the  seeming  unintelligibility  of 
the  verse  when  it  is  read  as 
MN.  E.  Shakspere  may  have 
had  in  mind  the  proverb  quoted  by  Cotgrave  s.v.vent,  "  No  one  can  blow  him  to  good 
whom  destinie  will  not  harbour."  SF  1 7  For  I1  TH',  cp.  v.  7.  THE  SHIP-MAN'S  CARD  is  the 
mariner's  compass,  cp.  "  Not  now  to  learne  his  compasse  by  the  carde"  Drayton,  '  Bar- 
rons  Warres,'  III.  15.6.  Chaucer's  "shipman"  for  'sailor'  was  still  in  common  use  in 
EL.E.:  Cooper  defines  nauta  as  "a  shipman, a  mariner,"  and  Shakspere  speaks  of  " ship- 
men  "in  Tro.&Cr.V.  2. 172.  <ff  18  The  witch's  threat  I  'LE  DREYNE  —  the  word  means  'dry 
up'  in  EL.E.  — HIM  DRIE  AS  HAY  has  reference  to  EL.  psychology,  cp.  Burton,  '  Anat. 
of  Mel.,'  III. 4.  2.4,  "  Fear  takes  away  their  content,  and  dries  the  blood,  wasteth  the 
marrow":  this  explains  also  vv.  22,  23.  Shakspere  in  Sonnet  LXIII  refers  to  the 
same  notion  in  "With  Time's  injurious  hand  crusht  and  oreworne,  When  houres  [MN.  E. 
'hours  of  anxiety'  as  in  Tim.  III.  1.66]  have  dreind  his  blood."  SF  20  The  figure  by 
which  Shakspere  expresses  the  sleepless  anxiety  of  the  witch's  victim  is  taken,  not 
from  what  we  know  as  a  PENT-HOUSE  (pronounced  "pentice"  in  EL.E.),  which  would 
describe  rather  the  eyebrow  than  the  eyelid,  but  from  the  EL.  usage  of  the  word  in  the 
sense  of  'curtain'*,  cp.  Cotgrave,  u  hauvens,  penthouses  of  cloth  hung  before  shop  win- 

15 


SECOND  WITCH 
I  'le  give  thee  a  winde. 

FIRST  WITCH 
TV  art  kinde. 

THIRD  WITCH 
And  I  another. 

FIRST  WITCH 
I  my  selfe  have  all  the  other, 
And  the  very  ports  they  blow — 
All  the  quarters  that  they  know 
T  th'  ship-man's  card. 
I  'le  dreyne  him  drie  as  hayf 
Sleepe  shall  neyther  night  nor  day 
Hang  upon  his  pent-house  lid; 
He  shall  live  a  man  forbid: 
Wearie  sev'nights  nine  times  nine 
Shall  he  dwindle,  peake,  and  pine; 
Though  his  barke  cannot  be  lost 
Yet  it  shall  be  tempest  tost. 
Looke  what  I  have. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

dows,"  and  L.L.L.  1 1 1 . 1 .  1 7.  Shakspere  is  fond  of  the  figure  :  cp.  "  The  fringed  curtaines 
of  thine  eye  advance"  Temp.  I.  2.  408,  and  "  would  under  peepe  her  lids  To  see  th'  enclosed 
lights  now  canopied  Under  these  windowes"  Cym.  II.  2.  21.  Puck's  charm  in  Mids.  1 1. 
2.  80  is  "  When  thou  wak'st  let  love  forbid  Sleepe  his  seate  on  thy  eye-lid."  *ff  21  FOR- 
BID here  seems  to  mean  'cursed/  'banned/  though  this  and  a  passage  probably  written 
in  imitation  of  Shakspere's  use  of  the  word  here  are  the  only  instances  given  in 
N.E.D.  for  FORBID  in  this  sense.  It  may  be  the  English  equivalent  of  homo  interdictus, 
with  another  suggestion  of  excommunication.  <ff22  The  SEV'NIGHT  ('sennit'),  seven 
days  or  half  a  fortnight,  was  a  common  EL.  measure  of  time  that  has  now  become  poetic. 
*fF  23  Many  have  thought  the  sailor's  dwindling  away  is  a  reference  to  the  making  of 
wax  figures  by  witches,  who  by  their  charms  caused  their  victims  to  waste  as  the  wax 
melted.  But  the  anxiety  of  a  sea  captain  storm  tossed  and  kept  from  haven  for  a  year  and  a 
half  is  surely  sufficient  cause  for  his  dwindling  away;  see  note  on  "dreyne"  above.  PEAKE 
is  used  by  Shakspere,  but  in 

ACT  I  SCENE  III 


a  slightly  different  sense,  in 
"peake  Likejohn-a-dreames" 
Ham.II.2.594;  Kersey,I708r 
gives"peaking,that  isof  sickly 
constitution";  so  'Glosso- 
graphia,'  1707;  and  Sewell's 
Dutch  Dictionary  glosses 
"  peaking,  ziekelyk,  quy- 
nende"  ;  "  peaked," '  sickly,'  is 
still  common  in  English  dia- 
lects and  often  heard  in  the 
United  States.^  24 THOUGH 
HIS  BARKE  CANNOT  BE 
LOST  seems  to  be  one  of  those 
limitations  which  often  condi- 
tioned themischief  of  witches  j 
but  possibly  a  hint  at  the  fate 
character  of  the  Three  Sisters 
of  Destiny  is  meant. 


27-37 


SECOND   WITCH 
Shew  me!   shew  me! 

FIRST  WITCH 
Here  I  have  a  pilot's  thumbe, 
Wrackt  as  homeward  he  did  come. 

DRUM  WITHIN 
THIRD  WITCH 
A  drumme,  a  drumme! 
Macbeth  doth  come. 

ALL 
The  weyward  sisters,  hand  in  hand, 
Posters  of  the  sea  and  land, 
Thus  doe  s*oe,  about,  about: 
Thrice  to  thine,  and  thrice  to  mine, 
And  thrice  againe  to  make  up  nine — 
Peace!  the  charme 's  wound  up. 


*ff  32  The  WEYWARD  SIS- 
TERS are  part  of  the  Macbeth 
legend.  Shakspere  undoubt- 
edly derived  his  knowledge 
of  them  from  Holinshed,  who 
says  that  "these  women  were 

either  the  weird  sisters,  that  is  (as  ye  would  say)  the  goddesses  of  destinie,  or  else  some 
nymphs  or  feiries  indued  with  knowledge  of  prophesie  by  their  necromantical  science."  The 
word  "weird"  is  a  I6th  century  Northern  English  form  of  M.E.  "werd,"  meaning  'fate,' 
'destiny.'  Douglas  uses  "werd  sisters"  to  render  cParcae  in  J&n.  III.379»  ed.  Small, 
1 1,  p.  142,  v.  24.  For  the  place  of  these  fate  sisters  in  Germanic  mythology  see  J.  Grimm, 
'Deutsche  Mythologie,'  I,  p.  379  ff.  It  is  not  strange  that  in  the  EL.  imagination  these 
beings  should  be  confused  with  witches:  Slatyer's  Palasalbion,  1 619?  refers  to  them 
as  witches;  Simon  Forman,  who  saw  Macbeth  played  in  1 6 10,  calls  them  "3  women 
feiries  or  nimphes,"  i.  e.  witches  and  enchantresses — Saxo  Grammaticus  calls  the  norns 
nymphae.  Skinner,  '  Etymologicon,'  explaining  "weirdes,"  says  the  term  etiam  sagas 
seu  pythonissas  notat"  ;  Coles,  17 13, glosses  "wieres"  (misprint  for  "wierdes"?)  "witches, 
destinies."  *ff33  POSTERS  is  EL.  E.  for  'couriers,'  cp.  Cotgrave,  "courrier,  a  post,  or, 
a  poster."      The   significance  of  the  number   three  in   demonology  is   so  common  as 

16 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

scarcely  to  be  worth  remark.  This  witches'  dance  Jonson  probably  had  in  mind  when  he 
wrote  his  dance  song  in  the  'Masque  of  Queenes,'  1609:  but  the  cadence  rhythm  of 
the  finale  in  Shakspere's  lyric  "Peace!  the  charme's  wound  up!"  is  quite  lacking  in 
Jonson's  "And  our  charmes  advance." 

11  About,  about,  and  about, 
Till  the  mist  arise,  and  the  lights  flie  out, 
The  images  neither  be  seene,  nor  felt ; 
The  wollen  burne,  and  the  waxen  melt ; 
Sprinkle  your  liquors  upon  the  ground, 
And  into  the  ayre ;  around,  around, 

Around,  around, 

Around,  around, 

Till  a  musique  sound, 

And  the  pase  be  found, 

To  which  we  may  dance, 

And  our  charmes  advance." 

Whether  the  form  WEYWARD,  WEYARD  be  a  phonetic  Southern  English  rendering  of 
the  Northern  "weird,"  or  due  to  a  confusion  with  "wayward"  ('morose/  'grim/  'per- 
verse' in  EL.  E.),  WAYWARD  SISTERS,  and  not  "weird  sisters,"  was  the  phrase  by  which 
these  creatures  were  known  in  England  during  the  1 7th  century:  e.  g.  Th.  Heywood, 
'The  Late  Witches  of  Lancashire,'  1633,  "you  look  like  one  of  the  Scottish  wayward  sis- 
ters" (quoted  from  Hudson's  note  in  Furness's  Variorum) ;  Sewell,  Dutch  Diet.,  glosses 
"the  wayward  sisters,  de  Hexen,  Kollen."  It  can  scarcely  be,  therefore,  a  mere  mis- 
print for  "weird,"  as  Theobald  and  modern  editors  suppose.  Such  a  term  as  WAY- 
WARD SISTERS,  'the  gloomy  sisters,'  'the  grim  sisters,'  presents  a  not  uncommon 
association  of  ideas,  cp.  fata  perversa  and  Old  Norse  grimmar  as  applied  to  the  norns. 
In  view  of  these  facts  and  Shakspere's  use  of  the  word  as  a  dissyllable,  the  Folio  spelling 
WEYWARD  and  WEYARD  is  retained.    From  Shakspere's  spelling  "  Seyward"  and  "  Sey- 

ton"      below,     "weyward," 
i^m    T  e/^DXTD     ttt  oo      ^       "weyard"   would  indicate  a 

AU  1      1  bUbJNblll  3»-43       word  sounded  as  if  spelled  in 

MN.  E.  "way-ard." 
ENTER  MACBETH  AND  BANQUO 

MACBETH  In  ^  38  Macbeth  refers  to  the 

0      P      ,  1   c    .  i         t   i  fair  issue  of  the  battle  and  the 

bo  foule  and  taire  a  day  1  have  not  seene.        foul  weather.    Holinshed,ed. 
PiMnnn  Boswell-Stone,  p.  2 1 , tells  us 

BAIN^UU  "the  Scots  after  this  victory 

How  farre  is  't  call'd  to  Foris?    What  are     caused,  .thanks  to  be  given  to 

these  almightie  God,  that  had  sent 

p      "    ,i'    K  i  .11.        i  them  so  faire  a  day  over  their 

bo  wither  d  and  so  wilde  in  their  attyre,  enemies."    SF  39  The  Folio 

That   looke    not    like   th' inhabitants    o'  th'      misprints  "Sons  "for  foris, 

-i  an     EL.    form     of     modern 

eartn  "Forres"  (dissyllabic).    The 

And  yet   are  on  't  ?     Live  you,   or  are  you     piaCe  is  on  the  Moray  Firth, 

autfht  tenmilesW.S.W.ofElgin,and 

rrr,       *  ->      \r  more  than  a  hundred    miles 

lhat   man    may  question.'     You  seeme  to     from  Kingcorne  and  Inch- 
understand  me  colm,  near  which  the  battle 

17 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


took  place.  Holinshcd  intro- 
duces the  incident  of  Mac- 
beth's  meeting  the  witches  as 
occurring  "shortly after"  the 
battle:  Shakspere  seems  to 
consider  it  as  happening  im- 
mediately after.  WHAT  is 
the  M.E.  and  EL.  E.  inter- 
rogative relative  correspond- 
ing to  the  Latin  qualis,  'what 
sort  of  persons/  cp.  "what 
were  these"  Temp.  III. 
3.20.  *ff 40  WILDE  means 
'strange,' 'fantastic':  Holins- 
hed  mentions  their  "strange 
and  wild  apparell."  Sr43The 
word  QUESTION  had  a  wider 
range  of  meaning  in  EL.  E. 
than  it  has  now,  and  meant 
'converse  with,'  'talk  to'; 
hence  the  YOU  SEEME  TO 
UNDERSTAND  ME  that  fol- 
lows. The  verse  is  a  good 
illustration  of  the  extra 
rhythmical  syllable  before  the 
cassural  pause. 

<ff44  Their  CHOPPIE  FIN- 
GERS were  'fissured  with 
wrinkles';  cp.  "Her  cheeks 
with  chops  and  wrincles 
were  disguiz'd"  Lucr.  1452. 
«lr45  YOU  SHOULD  BE  is 
'one  would  expect  you  to 
be,'  with  SHOULD  in  the 
M.E.  sense  of  the  auxiliary. 
SF46  BEARDS  were  sup- 
posed to  be  characteristic  of 
witches  :  Evans  in  Merry  W. 
IV.  2.  202,  says  "By  yea 
and  no,  I  thinke  the  'oman 
is  a  witch  indeede :  I  like  not 
when  a  'oman  has  a  great 
peard ;  I  spie  a  great  peard 
under  his  muffler."  INTER- 
PRETS is  somewhat  loosely 
used  in  EL.  E.  in  the  sense 
of  'rendering  into  specific 
terms';  cp.  III. 6. 1, "My for- 
mer speeches  have  but  hit  your 
thoughts,  Which  can  interpret 
farther,"  i.  e.  l  you  can  put 
them  in  words  for  yourself.' 


ACT  I 


SCENE  III 


44-61 


By  each  at  once  her  choppie  finger  laying 
Upon    her    skinnie    lips.       You   should   be 

women, 
And  yet  your  beards  forbid  me  to  interprete 
That  you  are  so. 

MACBETH 
Speake,  if  you  can:   what  are  you? 
FIRST   WITCH 
All  haile,  Macbeth  !    Haile  to  thee,  Thane  of 
Glamis! 

SECOND   WITCH 
All  haile,  Macbeth  !    Haile  to  thee,  Thane  of 
Cawdor! 

THIRD    WITCH 
All  haile,  Macbeth,  that  shalt  be  king  here- 
after ! 

BANQUO 
Good  sir,  why  doe  you  start,  and  seeme  to 

feare 
Things  that  doe  sound  so  faire? 

TO  WITCHES 

T  thf  name  of  truth, 
Are  ye  fantasticall,  or  that  indeed 
Which  outwardly  ye  shew?    My  noble  part- 
ner 
You  greet  with  present  grace  and  great  pre- 
diction 
Of  noble  having  and  of  royall  hope, 
That  he  seemes  wrapt  withall;   to  me  you 

speake  not. 
If  you  can  looke  into  the  seedes  of  time 
And  say  which  graine  will  grow  and  which 

will  not, 
Speake  then  to  me,  who  neyther  begge  nor 

feare 
Your  favors  nor  your  hate. 

18 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


IF  48  The  rhythms  of  the  first  two  prophecies  are  identical,  thus  :  "  ' 


;  the 


third  has  its  last  phrase  slightly  slowed  '""'"'*  giving  a  peculiar  finale  effect  to  the 
prediction,  an  interesting  improvement  upon  Holinshed's  "All  Haile  Macbeth  Thane  of 
Glamis !  Haile,  Macbeth,  Thane  of  Cawdor !  All  haile  Macbeth,  that  hereafter  shalt  be 
King  of  Scotland!"  SF53  FANTASTICALL  is  the  regular  EL.  word  for  'imaginary'; 
cp.  1.3- 139  and  N.E. D.  I  ;  here  it  means  'creatures  of  the  imagination.'  SF  54  SHEW  has 
already  occurred  in  its  EL.  sense  of  'appear,' cp  1.2.  1 5.  PARTNER  is  commonly  used 
in  EL.  E.  in  the  sense  of  'companion,'  'colleague' ;  in  Cor.  V.  3-  2  Coriolanus  calls  Aufidius 
his  "partner,"  so  in  1.3.  142.  *ff55  GRACE  is  more  than  'favour'  here:  rather  'good 
fortune'  (N.E.D.  10),  as  in  Ham.  I.  3.  53, "  A  double  blessing  is  a  double  grace."  *ff  56 
HAVING  is  EL.  E.  for  ' property," estate ' ;  cp.  Jonson,  'Every  Man  in  his  Humour'  I.  4, 
"  Lye  in  a  water-bearer's  house  !  a  Gentleman  of  his  havings  !  "  SF  57  THAT  corresponds  to 
MN.  E. '  so  that,'  as  in  1. 2.  57.  WRAPT  is  a  common  1 7th  century  spelling  for  '  rapt,'  proba- 
bly due  to  confusing  the  word  in  the  EL.  idiom  '  rapt  in,'  i.e. '  dazed  by,'  which  occurs  in  1. 5. 6, 
with  "  wrapt  in,"  '  wrapped  in,' '  enfolded  by.'  WITH  ALL  is  in  EL.  E.  an  adverb,  like  the  Ger- 
man 'damit,'  and  corresponds  to  MN.  E.  'with  it,' 'with  them,'  etc.  These  half  jesting 
words  of  Banquo's  show  what  a  deep  impression  the  witches'  prophecy  has  made  on  Mac- 
beth's  mind.  SF  58  SEEDES  and  "  germins,"  as  in  IV.  1 .  59?  were  favorite  1 7th  century  forms 
under  which  to  think  of  the  elements  of  the  universe  ;  TIME  connoted  a  much  wider  range 
of  association  in  EL.  E.  than  it  does  now,  being  often  used  as  here  for  the  general  course 

of  things.     In  2Hen.4  III.  I. 


SCENE  III 

FIRST  WITCH 

SECOND  WITCH 

THIRD  WITCH 


ACT    I  SCENE    III  62-72 

Hayle! 

Hayle! 

Hayle! 

FIRST  WITCH 
Lesser  then  Macbeth,  and  greater. 

SECOND  WITCH 
Not  so  happy,  yet  much  happyer. 

THIRD  WITCH 
Thou  shalt  ^et  kins*s,  though  thou  be  none: 
So  all  haile,  Macbeth  and  Banquo! 

FIRST  WITCH 
Banquo  and  Macbeth,  all  haile! 

MACBETH 
Stay,  you  imperfect  speakers;  tell  me  more! 

By   Smell's    death    I    know    I    am    Thane    of      fowed  byThe 'queen's  kindly 

Glamis, 
But  how  of  Cawdor?  the  Thane  of  Cawdor 
lives, 

19 


80  ff.  the  same  notion  oc- 
curs :  "There  is  a  historie  in 
all  men's  lives,  Figuring  the 
nature  of  the  times  deceas'd: 
The  which  observ'd,  a  man 
may  prophecie  With  a  neere 
ayme  of  the  maine  chance  of 
things  As  yet  not  come  to 
life,  which  in  their  seedes 
And  weake  beginnings  lye 
entreasured  ;  Such  things  be- 
come the  hatch  and  brood  of 
Time." 

SF  62  ff.  Again  the  formal 
rhythm  series  thrice  repeated, 
and  again  "Thou  shalt  get 
kings,  though  thou  be  none," 
with  the  finale  effect.  HAPPY, 
of  course,  has  here  its  EL. 
meaning  of 'fortunate.'  *1F69 
The  change  in  the  order  of 
names  implies  an  equal  distri- 
bution of  favor,  as  in  Ham. 
II.  2.  33,  where  the  king's 
"Thankes,  Rosincrance  and 
gentle  Guildensterne"  is  fol- 


"Thankes,  Guildensterneand 
gentle  Rosincrance."  *ff  70 
Macbeth  calls  them  IMPER- 
FECT SPEAKERS  because  of 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF     MACBETH 


the  incompleteness,  not  be- 
cause of  the  unintelligibility 
of  what  they  have  said:  the 
adj.  "perfect"  in  EL. E.  con- 
notes completeness  of  infor- 
mation ;  cp.  "perfect'st  re- 
port n  1. 5.2,  and  "  in  your  state 
of  honor  I  am  perfect,"  i.e. 
'well  informed,'  IV.  2.  66. 
<ff  7 1  The  death  of  Sinel— the 
name  seems  originally  to 
have  been  '  Finel,'  corrupted 
through  the  likeness  of  the 
written  forms  of  S  and  F  to 


ACT  I 


SCENE  III 


73-78 


A  prosperous  gentleman :    and  to  be  king 
Stands  not  within  the  prospect  of  beleefe, 
No  more  then  to  be  Cawdor.  Say  from  whence 
You  owe  this  strange  intelligence,  or  why 
Upon  this  blasted  heath  you  stop  our  way 
With  such  prophetique  greeting?    Speake,  I 
charge  you. 

WITCHES   VANISH 


ACT  I 


SCENE  III 


79-85 


"Sinel,"  as  was  '  Foris,'  to 

"  Soris"  above — is  mentioned  by  Holinshed  in  connection  with  the  First  Witch's  salutation  : 
"All  haile,  Macbeth,  thane  of  Glammis  (for  he  had  entered  into  that  dignitie  and  office  by  the 
death  of  his  father  Sinell)."  SF  72  Macbeth  may  well  be  ignorant  of  Cawdor's  treachery. 
Shakspere's  words,  as  pointed  out  above,  do  not  imply  that  the  traitor  was  present 
at  the  battle.  SF  74  STANDS  NOT  WITHIN  THE  PROSPECT  OP  BELEEFE  is  like 
"Shall  come  .  .  into  the  eye  and  prospect  of  his  soule"  Ado  IV.  1. 23 1,  and  "Nothing  that 
can  be  can  come  betweene  me  and  the  full  prospect  of  my  hopes"  Tw.  N.  III. 4. 90,  with  the 
word  used  to  connote  a  mental  range  of  vision.  EL.  thinking  was  full  of  such  metaphors 
for  the  perceptive  powers  of  the  mind;  cp.  N.E. D.  'eye'  4  c  and  8.  The  double  negative 
STANDS  NOT  .  .  NO  MORE  violates  only  our  modern  notions  of  grammar;  in  literary 
English  up  to  the  1 7th  century,  and  still  in  popular  English,  such  idioms  are  common. 
SF75  The  two  parallel  forms  "thanne"  and  "thenne"  in  M.E.  remained  in  EL.E.  as  THAN 
and  THEN;  'than 'has  since  been  set  apart  for  use  in  comparison,  while  'then'  remains 
temporal.  SF  76  The  word  OWE  in  O. E.  and  M.E.  meant  'to  possess," to  obtain,' as  well 
as  'to  be  under  obligation  to,'  a  double  meaning  still  retained  in  Shakspere's  time.  SF  78 
-que  in  PROPHETIQUE  is  merely  the  French  spelling  of  a  final  k,  giving  such  EL.E. 
forms  as  "musique,"  "an- 
tique "  (still  preserved), "  poli- 
tique," etc. 

<1F79  The  Folio  reads  HA'S, 
as  often ;  but  this  is  a  mere 
gratuitous  piece  of  philologi- 
cal information  —  and  incor- 
rect, as  such  information  usu- 
ally is — on  the  part  of  the 
printer,  who  seems  to  have 
supposed  that  "has"  was 
formed  from  "haves"  by 
dropping theue.  *1F80THESE 
ARE  OF  THEM,  i.e.  'these 
are  some  of  them,'  is  a  parti- 
tive genitive  idiom,  now  obso- 
lete, but  common  in  the  1 7th 
century  ;  cp.  "  He  sent  thither 
straight  of  the  best  soldiers  he 
had  about  him"  North,  '  Plu- 
tarch,' ed.  1 595,  p.  240.    ARE 


BANQUO 
The  earth  hath  bubbles  as  the  water  has, 
And  these  are  of  them :  whither  are  they  van- 
ished? 

MACBETH 
Into  the  ayre;  and  what  seemfd  corporall 
Melted  as  breath  into  the  winde. 
Would  they  had  stay'd! 

BANQUO 
Were  such   things  here  as  we  doe  speake 

about  ? 
Or  have  we  eaten  on  the  insane  root 
That  takes  the  reason  prisoner  ? 

20 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

THEY  VANISH'D  is  another  M.E.  and  EL.E.  idiom  still  familiar  from  Bible  English,  but 
obsolete  in  our  thinking,  through  which  Ms,' not  'have,'  forms  the  auxiliary  for  past  time 
with  verbs  of  motion.  SF 8 1  CORPORALL  is  EL.E.  for  'material,'  'substantial';  cp. 
N.E. D.,  especially  the  quotation  from  West,  '  Symboleographia,'  1592,  "Corporal  things 
are  such  as  of  their  own  nature  may  be  felt  or  seen."  Modern  editors  take  MELTED  from 
the  next  verse  and  add  it  to  this,  bringing  up  WOULD  THEY  HAD  STAY'D,  which  is  printed 
as  a  separate  verse  in  the  Folio,  to  fill  the  measure  of  v.  82.  This  quite  mars  the  graphic 
rhythm  in  "  Melted  as  breath,"  and  the  effect  of  astonishment  produced  by  the  incom- 
plete verse  following  with  its  necessary  pause  after  WINDE.  Despite  the  fact  that  the 
verse  division  of  FO.  I  is  not  always  to  be  trusted,  the  verses  are  probably  correct  as  they 
stand;  but  the  reader  may  make  the  improvement  for  himself  if  his  sense  of  rhythm  will 
justify  it.  SF  82  For  MELT  in  the  sense  of  'fade  away,'  cp.  "the  boy  .  .  was  melted  like 
a  vapour  from  her  sight "  Ven.& Ad.  1 1 66.  SF  84  To  EAT  ON  or  U  PON  is  a  common  EL.  E. 
idiom  corresponding  to  MN.E.  'eat  of,'  'taste  of,'  cp.  N.E.D.  'eat'  3  c.  INSANE  in  the 
sense  of  'making  insane'  seems  to  be  a  translation  of  insana  in  '■herba  insana,  the  name 
by  which  henbane  was  known  in  Shakspere's  time.  Douce, '  Illustrations,'  I,  p.  372,  quotes 
'  Batman  uppon  Bartholome,' ed.  1582,  XVII,  87:  "  Henbane  is  called  Insana,  mad,  .  .  for 
if  it  be  eat  or  dronke  it  breedeth  madnesse  .  .  Therefore  this  hearb  is  called  commonly 
Mirilidium  for  it  taketh  away  wit  and  reason";  cp.  Holyoke's  Latin  Dictionary,  1677, 
s.v.  'insanus' :  "insana  herba,  henbane  sic  dicitur  per  metonomiam  quia  comedentes  facit 
insanasv :  Coles,  1679,  also  has  "insana  herba,  henbane."  Shakspere  may  have  been 
thinking  of  the  "roots  of  hemlock,"  cp.  IV.  1.25,  referred  to  in  Greene's  Never  Too  Late, 
1590:  "you  have  eaten  of  the  roots  of  hemlock,  that  makes  men's  eyes  conceit  unseen 
objects"  (cited  by  Steevens),  and  either  borrowed  the  epithet  from  " herba  insana11  or 

confounded  henbane  and 
APT    T  QfpMp    TTT  o^      oo       hemlock.       Florio's       gloss 

AU  [      [  SUC1NE,    ill  86-88       "cicuta,    henbane,    kex    and 

hearbe  bennet"  shows  clearly 

MACBETH  such  a  confusion,  for  cicuta 

Your  children  shall  be  kinds.  Js   Latin  for  hemlock,   for 

°  which    "kex"    and    "herb- 

BANQUO  bennet"     (herba    benedicta) 

You  shall  be  king.      are  EL'E-  equivalents. 

MACBETH  SF 87  InrepeatingtheTHANE 

And  '  Thane  of  Cawdor/  too :  went  it  not  so  ?     o?  cawdor  Macbeth  prob- 
ably  imitated    the    peculiar 
BANQUO  rhythm    which    marked    the 

Toth'  selfe-same  tune  and  words.    Who  's     witch's  prophecy,  and  thus 

1  .  occasioned  Banquo  s  remark 

Here  .  which  follows.  The  reference 

ENTER    ROSSE    AND   ANGUS       in  TUNE,  v.  88,  is  to  rhythm, 

notto  melody  :  oneof Webbe's 
rules  of  poetry,  'A  Discourse  of  English  Poesie,'  1586,  ed.  Arber,  p.  57,  is  that  a  "meeter 
or  verse  .  .  be  proportionable  to  the  tune  whereby  it  is  to  be  measured."  It  is  the  prompt 
fulfilment  of  the  "Thane  of  Cawdor"  part  of  the  prophecy  that  is  the  key  to  Macbeth's 
implicit  belief  in  the  supernatural  power  of  the  witches:  cp.  1.3. 119,  122,  133-  And 
Shakspere  keeps  these  words  before  our  minds,  not  varying  their  order  or  stress  rela- 
tions, so  that  the  title  comes  to  have  an  ominous  ring  in  the  early  part  of  the  play.  With 
the  same  iterating  insistence  "  Birnam  wood"  and  "  Dunsinane  "  are  thrust  upon  the 
attention  later  on,  till  they,  too,  come  to  have  an  ominous  ring.  *1F  88  Such  EL.E.  forms 
as  TOTH'  have  already  been  explained;  this  is  one  of  the  four-wave  verses  that  are 
frequent  in  Macbeth. 

21 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SF 91  IN  goes  with  READES 
rather  than  with  VENTURE, 
and  the  phrase  means  'infers 
from,"  gathers  from* ;  cp."In 
the  modesty  of  fearefull  duty 
[i.e.  a  duty  performed  fear- 
fully] I  read  as  much  as  from 
the  rattling  tongue"  Mids.  V. 
101,  and  "read  not  my  blem- 
ishes in  the  world's  report" 
Ant.&Cl.  II.  3.  5;  cp.  too, 
lHen.4  IV.  1.49-  This  notion 
of  'inference'  was  promi- 
nently attached  to  the  word  in 
M.E.,  continued  through  the 
1 7th  century  (cp.  e.g.  Coles, 
1679,  "read,  ghess,  divino"), 
and  survives  in  some  MN.E. 
phrases  like  "read  one's  se- 
cret." FIGHT  was  up  to  the 
beginning  of  the  1 8th  century 
used  to  connote  the  action  of 
fighting,  a  sense  of  the  word 
preserved  in 'valiant  in  fight,' 
'to  show  fight.'  Shakspere 
calls  Mars  the  god  of  fight 
in  Ven.&Ad.  1 14  (cp.  N.  E.  D. 
I),  and  Cooper,  'Thesaurus,' 
glosses  "aspera  pugna  sur- 
git"  by  "sore  fight  begin- 
neth."  '  Fighting'  seems  to  be 


ACT  I 


SCENE  III 


89-103 


ROSSE 
The  king  hath  happily  receiv'd,  Macbeth, 
The  newes  of  thy  successe:   and  when  he 

reades 
Thy  personall  venture  in  the  rebel's  fight, 
His  wonders  and  his  prayses  doe  contend 
Which  should  be  thine  or  his:   silencTd  with 

that, 
In  viewing  o're  the  rest  of  th'selfe-same  day, 
He  findes  thee  in  the  stout  Norweyan  rankes, 
Nothing  afeard  of  what  thy  selfe  didst  make, 
Strange  images  of  death.   As  thick  as  haile 
Ran  post  with  post,  and  every  one  did  beare 
Thy  prayses  in  his  kingdomes  great  defence, 
And  powr'd  them  downe  before  him. 
ANGUS 

Wee  are  sent 
To  give  thee  from  our  royall  master  thanks 
Onely  to  harrold  thee  into  his  sight, 
Not  pay  thee. 


the  sense  intended  here,  and 
REBELS  of  FO.  I  is  therefore  singular,  Rosse's  meaning  being:  'When  he  infers  from  the 
rebel's  fighting  what  your  personal  risk  was,'  etc.  SF  93  THINE  and  HIS  seem  to  be  used* 
here  as  objective  genitives,  and  the  sense  to  be '  contend  which  should  take  the  form  of  praise 
due  to  Macbeth's  prowess  and  which  should  take  the  form  of  wonder  affecting  Duncan  at 
Macbeth's  miraculous  escape  from  danger.'  A  similar  use  of  HIS  occurs  in  "gazing  in 
a  doubt  Whether  those  peales  of  praise  be  his  or  no,"  Merch.  III.  2.  146,  and  a  similar 
use  of  '  contend '  in  "  Death  and  Nature  doe  contend  about  them,  Whether  they  live  or  dye  " 
II.  2. 7.  Duncan  is  nonplussed  by  (the  preposition  WITH  as  often  in  EL.  E.  corresponds 
to  MN.E.  'by')  this  contention:  cp.  '  Phraseologia  Generalis,'  Cambridge,  l68I,"he  was 
quite  blank;  silent;  at  a  non  plus:  .  .  obstupuit.11  *TF 95  STOUT  means  'proud'  as  well 
as  'bold'  in  EL.  E. ;  cp.  "As  stout  and  proud  as  he  were  lord  of  all"  2Hen.6  1. 1. 187.  SF  96 
NOTHING  is  adverbial,  'not  at  all,'  and  AFEARD  OF  is  a  common  EL.E.  synonym  of 
'frightened  by.'  SF  97  For  the  meaning  of  STRANGE  IMAGES  OF  DEATH,  i.e.  'unusual 
types  or  forms  of  death,'  cp.  "images  of  revolt"  Lear  II. 4.91.  Purchas  in  his '  Pilgrim- 
age,' vol.  V,  describing  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  says  :  "  Everywheer  the  eye  is  enter- 
tayned  with  differing  spectacles  of  diversified  Deaths"  ;  and  Sidney,  'Arcadia'  (Sommer's 
repr.,  p.  268)  makes  use  of  the  same  notion  in  "  So  was  the  face  therof  [i.e.  of  the  earth] 
hidden  with  dead  bodies  to  whome  Death  had  come  masked  in  diverse  manners."  THICK 
AS  HAILE:  (misprinted  in  FO.  I  "Thick  as  Tale")  is  a  common  EL.  comparison,  cp. 
'  Phr.  Gen.,'  "  as  thick  as  hail,  in  modum  grandinis"  and  Purchas, '  Pilgrimage,'  V.  90 1 , "  The 
fowles  flew  over  them  as  thicke  as  haile."      SF98    RAN,  likewise,  is  misprinted  "Can" 


B 


22 


(X 


I 


i^V 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

in  FO.  I.  Many  editors  read  "Came";  but  'run*  is  of  common  occurrence  in  connection 
with  POST,  'messenger/  and  involves  only  one  misprint,  while  "Came"  involves  three. 
SF  102  ONELY  TO  is  used,  as  the  punctuation  shows,  in  its  EL.  sense  of  'merely  in  order 
to' ;  cp.  "as  fond  fathers  Having  bound  up  the  threatning  twigs  of  birch  Onely  to  stick  it 
in  their  children's  sight  For  terror"  Meas.  1.3.25.  Misapprehending  this  sense,  modern 
editors  alter  the  comma  of  the  Folio  after  THANKS  to  a  semicolon,  which  led  Hudson 
to  conjecture  that  WEE  ARE  SENT  should  be  "we  are  not  sent."     HARROLD  is  an  EL. 

form  of  MN.E.  "herald,"  cp. 

ACT  I  SCENE  III 


104—  1 17 


ROSSE 
And  for  an  earnest  of  a  greater  honor, 
He   bad   me,  from  him,  call  thee  thane  of 

Cawdor:  '^, 

In  which  addition,  haile,  most  worthy  thane! 
For  it  is  thine. 

BANQUO 
What!   can  the  devill  speake  true? 
MACBETH 
The  Thane  of  Cawdor  lives:   why  doe  you 

dresse  me 
In  borrowed  robes? 

ANGUS 


X, 


Who  was  the  thane  lives  yet, 
!"  But  under  heavie  judgement  beares  that  life 
Which   he  deserves  to   loose.    Whether  he 

was  combin'd      - 
With  those  of  Norway,  or  did  lyne  the  rebell 
With  hidden  helpe  and  vantage,  or  that  with 

both 
He  labour'd  in  his  countreyeswracke,  I  know 

not; 
But  treasons  capitall,  confess'd  and  prov'd, 
Have  overthrowne  him. 


MACBETH 

ASIDE 

and  '  Thane  of  Cawdor ' ! 


Glamys, 
The  greatest  is  behinde. 

TO   ROSSE  AND   ANGUS 

Thankes  for  your  paines. 
23 


N.E.D.  SFI05  FROM  HIM 
means  'by  his  authority,' cp. 
"  I  do  it  .  .  from  Lord  Angelo 
by  speciall  charge"  Meas.  I. 
2.  123,  not  'as  a  favor  from 
him,' as  the  MN.E.  words  sug- 
gest. SF  106  ADDITION  is 
a  regular  EL.  synonym  for 
'title,'  cp.  III.  I.  100.  SF  107 
DEVILL  is  generally  mono- 
syllabic, '  deel,'  in  Shakspere, 
cp.  Schmidt's  Shaks.  Lexi- 
con for  instances.  This, 
wrongly  supposed  a  dialect 
form,  is  common  in  EL.  liter- 
ary English,  and  is  no  more 
dialect  than  is  our  MN.E. 
"ill"  from  "evill,"  "ivill." 
*ff  109  WHO  is  M.  E.  and 
EL.  E.  syntax  corresponding 
to  MN.E.  'he  who.'  SF  110 
BEARES  seems  here  to  be 
used  in  its  sense  of  '  possess,' 
'maintain,'  'keep,'  cp.  "beare 
a  charmed  life"  V.  8.  12. 
^III  COMBIN'D  carries 
with  it  the  meaning  '  in  league 
with';  EL.E.  "combination" 
is  a  regular  word  for  'league,' 
'alliance',  N.E.D.  4  c.  It  is 
best  to  treat  the  verse  as  one 
of  six  waves,  notwithstanding 
that  WHETHER  is  often  a 
monosyllable,  "wher,"  in 
EL.E.,  for  "combined"  is  not 
found  in  Shakspere.  SFII2 
LYNE  is  EL.  E.  for  'furnish,' 
'support';  cp.  "who  lin'd 
himselfe  with  hope"  2Hen.4 
1.3-27.  SF  113  VANTAGE  is 
EL.E.  for  'opportunity,'  'ad- 
vantage,' cp.  I.  2.  31  ;  THAT 
inM.E.andearly  New  English 
(e.  N.  E.)  often  serves,  as  here, 
to  repeat  a  connective  ;  cp.  I. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


7.  4.  Rosse  and  Angus  know 
only  the  fact  of  Cawdor's 
treachery,  and  their  ignorance 
of  its  details,  like  Macbeth's 
ignorance  of  the  fact,  vaguely 
points  to  secret  treachery  on 
Cawdor's  part. 

SF  119  GAVE  .  .  TO  is  EL.E. 
for  'declared  that  I  was' ;  cp. 
Rom.&Jul.  IV.  5.  116,  "I  will 
give  you  the  minstrell";  we 
still  use  the  idiom  in  "to  give 
the  lie  direct."  The  stress 
seems  to  be  on  ME  as  con- 
trasted with  THEM  :  possibly 
an  elision  was  intended  here  as 
""t'an,""t'whom," 


ACT  I 


SCENE  III 


I  18-127 


in  "t' our 


cp.  note  on  I.  6.  24.   "t"'  for 


TO   BANQUO 

Doe  you  nothopeyour  children  shall  be  kings, 
When  those  that  gave  the  'Thane  of  Caw- 
dor' to  me 
Promis'd  no  lesse  to  them? — p» 

BANQUO 

That,  trusted  home, 
Might  yet  enkindle  you  unto  the  crowne, 
Besides  the  Thane  of  Cawdor.      But  rt  is 

strange : 
And  oftentimes,  to  winne  us  to  our  harme, 
The  instruments  of  darknesse  tell  us  truths, 
Winne  us  with  honest  trifles  to  betray  ?s 
In  deepest  consequence. 

TO   ROSSE  AND   ANGUS 

Cousins,  a  word,  I  pray  you. 


'to'  before  infinitives  begin- 
ning with  a  consonant  fre- 
quently occurs  in  Ben  Jon- 
son,  likewise  "unt"'  and 
"int"'  before  following  pro- 
nouns. SF  120  NO  LESSE, 
i.e.  'nothing  less  than  king- 
ship.' The  period  instead  of  the  interrogation-point  after  TH  EM  in  FO.  I  seems  to  be  a  misprint. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  Macbeth  and  Banquo  are  jesting;  cp.  Holinshed,  p.  170 
( Stone's ed.,  p.  24),  "this  [the  meeting  with  the  witches]  was  reputed  at  the  first  but  some 
vaine  fantasticall  illusion  by  Mackbeth  and  Banquho,  insomuch  that  Banquho  would  call 
Mackbeth  in  jest  King  of  Scotland;  and  Mackbeth  againe  would  call  him  in  sport  like- 
wise the  father  of  manie  kings."  HOME  is  an  EL.  adverb  meaning  'thoroughly,'  'en- 
tirely,'cp.  "revenged  home"  Lear  III.  3. 13,  "satisfie  home"  Cym.  III.  5- 92,  "know  .  . 
home"  All's  W.  V.  3-  3,  and  Cotgrave  "a  fonds  de  cuve,  throughly,  fully,  largely,  home." 
<ff  121  ENKINDLE  TO  is  EL.  E.  for  'incite  to  obtain,' cp.  N.E.D.  I  b.  SF  123  AND  indicates 
an  ellipsis  of  "perhaps  true,  for."  These  witches  are  to  Banquo's  mind  the  agents  of 
Satan  :  Gifford, '  Dialogue,'  Percy  Soc,  p.  36,  says  the  devils  "deale  by  such  instruments" 
as  witches,  and,  p.  22,  quotes  S.  Paul  as  calling  the  "divils"  "the  rulers  of  the  dark- 
nesse of  this  world"  ;  on  p.  55  he  writes  "they  make  shew  of  doing  good  unto  men  only  of  a 
most  cruell  and  murtherous  purpose,  even  to  draw  men  deeper  into  the  pit  of  hell  with  them." 
(Thelatter citation  is  in  Shaks.  Soc. Trans.,'80-'85,pt.  I, Proceedings  for  Feb. 9, 1 883, p. 63.) 
*1F  1 25  TRI FLES  in  EL.  E.  still  had  its  M.  E.  meaning  of '  tricks,'  cp.  "  some  enchanted  triffle 
to  abuse  [MN.E. 'deceive']  me"  Temp.  V.  112  ;  and  this  meaning,  with  HONEST  in  the  sense 
of  'seeming  true,' as  in  "honest  slanders"  Ado  III.  1.84,  appears  to  be  implied  by  Banquo. 
Such  contractions  as  BETRAY 'S  are  common  in  EL.E.  *Ir  126  IN  is  EL.E.  for  'into,' 
cp.  "draw  in(to)  consequence"  N. E.  D. 'consequence'  I  b.  DEEPEST  is  EL.E.  for  MN.E. 
'gravest,'  and  CONSEQUENCE  has  sharper  reference  to  succession  than  now.  So  that 
Banquo's  words  do  not  so  much  mean  'are  faithful  to  us  in  matters  of  small  importance 
and  betray  us  in  matters  of  serious  consequence,'  but  rather  'win  our  confidence  in 
order  to  seduce  us  into  grave  error.'  Macbeth  has  affected  by  his  jest  to  make  light  of  a 
prediction  which  at  the  same  time  promises  kingship  to  himself  and  to  Banquo's  children: 
Banquo's  retort,  though  in  jest,  at  once  unmasks  the  affectation  and  parries  its  implication 
that  the  prophecy  means  as  much  for  him  as  it  does  for  Macbeth  — YOU  has  a  slight 


24 


S"1 


1 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


verse-stress:  'If  you  wanted  to  believe  the  prediction  concerning  the  kingship  this  ap- 
parent conflict  in  details  would  only  serve  as  "yet"  another  confirmation  of  it  "besides 
the  Thane  of  Cawdor."'  He  does  not  explain  his  words  further,  but  their  import  lies  in 
the  fact  that  Macbeth  has  no  heir.  In  Holinshed  Macbeth  draws  Banquo  into  his  con- 
spiracy ;  but  in  Shakspere  Banquo  never  even  admits  to  Macbeth  his  community  of  interest 
in  the  witches'  prediction,  though  Shakspere  hints  that  he  was  not  unaffected  by  the  words 
of  the  weird  sisters;  cp.  III.  I.  6  and  II.  I.  20.  Banquo's  latter  words,  foreshadowing  the 
'deep  consequence' of  Macbeth's  trust  in  the  instruments  of  darkness,  whether  a  dramatic 
aside — and  they  may  well  be  such,  for  asides  are  not  indicated  in  the  Folio — or  a  general 
remark,  the  deep  meaning  of  which  Macbeth  already  absorbed  in  thoughts  of  his  own 
great  future  fails  to  catch,  are  the  theme  of  the  tragedy.  Macbeth's  "betrayal"  has  its 
"final  consequence"  in  a  fact  which  is  essentially  tragic  ;  but  its  deeper  tragedy  lies  in  the 

shattering  of  his  whole  man- 

ACT  I  SCENE  III 


hood  which  attends  the  very 
"first  motion"  of  his  "dread- 
ful" purpose,  a  tragic  conse- 
quence which  he  now  becomes 
aware  of.  He  unconsciously 
thinks  of  the  new  and  unreal 
world  in  which  he  finds  him- 
self as  a  scene  from  a  play. 

IF  1 27  The  significance  of  the 
TWO  lies  in  the  fact  that  the 
death  of  the  Thane  of  Glamis 
and  the  consequent  succes- 
sion of  Macbeth  to  his  father's 
earldom  were  circumstances 
which,  for  some  reason  or 
other,  the  witches  were  not 
likely  to  know  of.  Shakspere 
leaves  this  to  our  imagination, 
nor  does  Holinshed  throw 
any  light  upon  the  matter. 
SF 128  HAPPY  here  practically 
means  'felicitously  written,' 
cp.  "happy  verse"  Timon  I. 
I.  16.  PROLOGUES  were 
often  prefixed  to  the  several 
acts  of  a  play,  as  in  Hen. 5. 
SWELLING  had  in  EL.E.  the 
connotation  of  '  proud,' '  mag- 
nificent,' cp.  Baret,  'Alvea- 
rie/  "  to  begin  to  swell,  to  wax 
proud  and  stately,  s'en/7er,"  and  "  swelling  scene "  Hen.5,  Prol.  4.  *ff  129  IMPERI  ALL  illus- 
trates a  common  EL.  E.  use  of  the  adjective  where  MN.  E.  prefers  the  preposition  and  noun  ; 
the  phrase  is  equivalent  to  'theme  of  empire,' just  as  "generall  use"  in  1.2.62  corresponds 
to  MN.E.  'expenditures  of  state.'  THEAME  in  EL.E.  denotes  the  subject  of  an  action  as 
well  as  the  subject  of  a  thought  or  discussion,  cp.  Cor.  Ii.2.61.  GENTLEMEN  was  often 
dissyllabic  in  literary  EL.  E.and  frequently  printed  "gent'men":  'gen'men,'  heard  among 
cultivated  people  of  the  South  and  corrupted  by  the  negroes  to  '  gemmen,'  may  be  a  descen- 
dant of  this  EL.  form.  <1F  130  SOLLICITING  is 'advocacy  of  my  interests,' not 'temptation,' 
as  it  is  usually  understood  to  mean  ;  cp.  IV.  3- 149-     SF 131    ILL  seems  to  mean  '  dangerous,' 

25 


127-138 


MACBETH 

ASIDE 

Two  truths  are  told, 
As  happy  prologues  to  the  swelling  act 
Of  the  imperiall  theame. 

TO   ROSSE  AND  ANGUS 

I  thanke  you,  gentlemen. 

LvXA*  ASIDE 

This  supernaturall  sollicking 
Cannot  be  ill;   cannot  be  good:   if  ill, 
Why  hath  it  given  me  earnest  of  successe, 
Commencing  in  a  truth?      I   am   Thane  of 

Cawdor: 
If  good,  why  doe  I  yeeld  to  that  suggestion 
Whose  horrid  image  doth  unfixe  my  heire 
And   make    my  seated   heart  knock  at  my 

ribbes  ^ — . . __ 

Against  the  use  of  nature?     Present  feares 
Are  lesse  then  horrible  imaginings: 


S 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

'likely  to  turn  out  badly/  not  'wicked';  cp.  "I  told  thee  they  [i.e.  prawnes]  were  ill  for 
agreene  wound"  2Hen.4  II.  1. 106  (N.E.D.  3).  *ff  132  EARNEST  is  used  in  its  now  rather 
unusual  sense  of  'pledge';  and  SUCCESSE  in  EL.E.  had  more  notion  of  sequence  than  it 
now  has.  SF  1 33  I  AM  was  probably  intended  for  the  contraction  "  I'm."  SF  1 34  GOOD, 
the  opposite  of  ILL,  means  'tending  to  well-being,'  N.E.D. 7  b.  Macbeth  is  not  thinking 
of  the  moral  consequences  of  the  "suggestion,"  but  of  the  effect  his  yielding  to  it  has  on 
his  "state  of  man"  ;  as  far  as  its  relation  to  Macbeth's  character  goes,  the  deed  is  already 
done.  He  is  not  struggling  with  temptation,  as  he  seems  to  be  when  his  words  are  read 
as  MN.E.,  but  is  becoming  aware  of  a  confusion  of  soul  brought  about  by  his  willingness 
to  employ  instruments  of  darkness  whose  watchword  is  "faire  is  foul  and  foul  is  faire." 
He  is  yielding  unresistantly ;  his  conflict  with  the  powers  of  evil  is  over,  if  it  ever  took 
place  ;  the  mere  perception  of  the  fact  that  supernatural  influencesare  working  in  his  favour 
crystallizes  his  ambition  so  that  no  solvent  of  conscience  or  scruple,  no  "milk  of  human 
kindness"  can  do  other  than  trouble  and  muddy  his  peace  of  mind  with  realizations  of 
"consequence"  which  a  sting  of  pride  or  pang  of  fear  will  straight  drive  back  to  kennel. 
His  'moral  reason,'  if  we  may  use  the  term,  is  dethroned. 

This  agitation  of  mind  forebodes  disaster:  cp.  "As  heavines  foretels  some  harme  at 
hand,  So  minds  disturb'd  presage  ensuing  ills"  Bodenham,  '  Belvedere,' ed.  1600,  p.  160. 
SUGGESTION  in  EL.E.  also  connotes  'temptation,'  cp.  "Suggestions  are  to  other  as  to 
me"  L.L.L.  1. 1. 159-  *lr  135  IMAGE  expresses  a  realization  of  a  situation  by  imagination 
like  MN.E.  'idea,'cp.  "the  image  of  it  gives  me  content  already"  Meas.  III.  1.270.  UNFIXE 
is  of  course  merely  'to  loosen,'  and  not  a  misprint  for  "upfix,"  cp.  IV.  1.96  and  Ham. 
1.5- 18,  a  notion  carried  further  in  SF  136  SEATED  [i.e.  fixed].  Steevens  quotes  'Para- 
dise Lost'  VI. 643:  "From  thir  foundations  loosning  to  and  fro  They  pluckt  the  seated 
hills."  SF 137  AGAINST  THE  USE  OF  NATURE  seems  to  mean,  not  that  such  symp- 
toms of  fear  are  unnatural,  but  that  they  are  unusual  to  Macbeth :  NATURE  in  EL.E.  fre- 
quently means  'character,'  'disposition,'  cp.  II. 4. 16,  and  USE  commonly  means  'custom,' 
cp.I.3.I46.  If  THE  has  here  the  definite  sense  it  has  in  1.2.6  and  is  equivalent  to  a  light 
MN.E.  'my,'  the  expression  is  like  that  found  in  North's  Plutarch,  p.  107 1  :  "Cassius  .  . 
was  full  of  thoughts  [i.e.  anxieties],  although  it  was  against  his  nature."  FEARES  is 
EL.E.  for '  objects  of  fear,' '  things  to  be  feared,'  cp.  N.  E.  D.  5  d.  PRESENT,  i.e. '  present  before 
one,'  such  dangers  as  Macbeth  has  been  used  to  confronting;  Harrison,  'Description  of 
England,'  ed.  Furnivall,  I.  p.  13,  writing  of  the  excommunication  of  King  John,  speaks  of  the 
then  archbishop  as  "the  present  Archbishop  of  Canturburie,"  meaning  the  archbishop 
who  was  present  at  the  meeting  between  king  and  clergy  at  Lincoln.  Macbeth's  words 
reveal  a  sense  of  changed  character:  he  recognizes  it  by  the  presence  of  fear,  which  has 
hitherto  been  a  stranger  to  him,  and  of  indecision,  which  is  likewise  unfamiliar  ;  he  sees  its 
effects  in  a  constraint  of  conduct  as  if  he  were  already  under  suspicion,  and  in  an  inability 
to  determine  essential  relations  as  if  he  were  already  insane. 

The  passage  that  follows  must  be  understood  in  terms  of  EL.  psychology,  by  which 
the  ego,  with  its  controlling  powers  of  will,  conscience,  and  right  imagination  making 
for  the  good,  is  conceived  as  the  head  of  a  state,  having  the  "mortal  instruments" 
of  the  body  as  its  executive  agents.  The  best  comment  on  the  passage  is  found  in 
Ca2s.  II.  I.63  ff.,  where  Shakspere  describes  the  effect  of  a  murderous  purpose  on  Brutus's 
mind,  saying  that  'All  the  interval  between  the  first  conception  of  a  dreadful  purpose  and 
its  execution  is  a  "phantasma"  or  a  hideous  dream:  the  personality  of  the  individual 
("genius")  and  his  bodily  powers  (the  "mortal  instruments")  are  then  in  secret  sym- 
pathy ("in  councell"),'  "and  the  state  of  man,  Like  to  a  little  kingdome,  suffers  then  The 
nature  of  an  [i.e.  a  kind  of]  insurrection";  i.e.  will  and  conscience  are  deposed,  and  the 
man  is  no  longer  master  of  himself  and  of  his  acts.  It  is  a  state  of  mind  to  which  all  is 
nightmare,  a  hideous  dream,  which  brings  its  subject  to  "thinke  that  which  is  nothynge  is 
somwhat,  and  fele  that  thyng  which  he  feleth  not  and  to  se  that  thing  which  he  seeth  not." 

26 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

Such  dreams  are,  according  to   Boorde's   Dietary,   E.  E.  T.  S.  selections,  p.  79,  the  fore- 
runner of  "madnes  named  Mania,"  and  a  cause  of  them  is  "fantasticalnes,  or  collucion 
or  illusyons  of  the  devyll."     This  awful  nightmare  of  soul  is  the  price  of  Macbeth's  col- 
lusion with  the  instruments  of 

ACT  I  SCENE  III  139-144     J^bu.on ff&SES 

■  »        i  ,i  i  i  ip  the  minde"  shall  "lye  in  rest- 

My  thought,  whose  murther  yet  is  but  fan-      iesse  extasie"  till,  spent  with 

tasticall,  »*«»  ne  shaU  cry,  "it  is  a  tale 

CL    1  •    ^1  *    *  £  +U    *       Told  by  an  ideot,  full  of  sound 

Shakes    so    my    single    state    of    man    that     andfUry,  Signifying  nothing." 
function 

Is  smother' d  in  surmise,  and  nothing  is  <ffI39    In    EL-E'  ^e   wo/d 

R  ,  '  6  THOUGHT    covered    a    far 

DUt  What  IS  not.  wider    range    of    association 

BANOUO  than  it  does  in  MN.E.,  and  in- 

TO   ROSSE   AND   ANGUS       fj^l  'PurP°se,'     'design/ 

'hope,  'expectation  :  here  the 
Looke  how  Our  partner  ?S  rapt.       purpose  notion  seems  upper- 
most, Macbeth's  ambition  of 
MACBETH  kingship  now  doubly  strong 

from  the  trust  he  has  in  the 
witches' prediction.  The  word 

If  chance  will  have  me  king,  why,  chance     is  used  in  the  sense  of 'ambi- 
may  crowne  me,  tion'    ^  Jonm's   Sejanus 

,v,    .    J  1  V.  1.34:   "I  did  not  live  till 

Without  my  Stirre.  now;  this  [z.e.thisis]  myfirst 

hower,  Wherein  I  see  my 
thoughts  reach'd  by  my  power."  The  murderous  aspects  of  this  THOUGHT  are  as  yet  only 
FANTASTIC  ALL,  i.e. 'imaginary' (cp.  1.3. 53)r  but  they  shake  Macbeth's  hitherto  SINGLE, 
i.e.  'simple,'  'united,'  'harmonious,'  STATE  OF  MAN  into  mutiny  and  insurrection.  SF  140 
The  notion  of  the  soul  of  man  being  a  kingdom  is  not  an  uncommon  one  in  EL.E.  Jonson, 
in  'Every  Man  in  his  Humour'  II. 3,  ed.  1640,  p. 20,  makes  use  of  a  similar  figure: 

"Is  't  like  [i.e.  likely]  that  factious  beauty  will  preserve 
The  publicke  weale  of  Chastitie  unshaken, 

When  such  strong  motives  [i.e.  impulses, "  thoughts  "]  muster  and  make  head 
Against  her  single  peace?" 

(It  is  interesting  to  note  that  "Will.  Shakspeare"  was  the  first  of  the  "  Principall  Come- 
dians" in  this  play  when  it  was  acted  in  1598,  and  probably  played  the  role  of  Kitely,  the 
actor  who  speaks  these  words.)  Cp.  also  Lear  III. 1. 10  and  2Hen.4  IV.  3.  1 18.  The  same 
psychology  occurs  in  John  IV.  2.245  : 

"Nay,  in  the  body  of  this  fleshly  land, 
This  kingdome,  this  confine  of  blood  and  breathe, 
Hostilitie,  and  civill  tumult  reignes 
Between  my  conscience  and  my  cosin's  death." 

EL.E.  FUNCTION  is  defined  in  N.E.  D.  as 'activity  of  intellectual  powers' ;  the  word  seems 
here  to  refer  to  such  normal  activity  as  is  revealed  in  outward  conduct,  gesture  ;  cp.  "  his 
whole  function  suiting  With  formes  to  [i.e.  according  to]  his  conceit"  Ham.  II.  2. 582. 
SF 141  To  SURMISE  in  EL.E.  is  'to  accuse,'  'to  bring  forward  a  charge,'  cp.  Baret's  Al- 

27 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


vearie,  "to  surmise,  or  devise  a  forged  crime"  ;  here,  and  in  the  phrase  "such  exufflicate 
and  blow'd  surmises"  Oth.III.3- 182,  the  noun  also  seems  to  have  this  connotation  of 
'accusation.'  Macbeth's  self-accusation  renders  him  powerless  to  control  his  conduct. 
Unlike  Iago,  who  boasts  "  I  am  not  what  I  am,"  whose  very  element  is  duplicity  and  un- 
reality, Macbeth,  man  of  action  and  realities  as  he  is,  is  appalled  by  his  situation  :  "  nothing 
is  but  what  is  not."  SF  142  Banquo's  remark  and  his  explanation  call  attention  to  Mac- 
beth's RAPT  state.  PARTNER,  as  has  already  been  pointed  out,  merely  means  'com- 
panion' in  EL.E.  SF  144  STIRRE  is  EL.E.  for  'action,'  'activity,'  cp.  "you  shall  know 
..  of  stirres  abroad  "Ant.  &C1. 


ACT  I 


SCENE  III 


144-152 


1.4.82.  Macbeth's  decision 
to  let  chance  run  its  course 
is  continued  in  vv.  146,  147. 

^  144  COME  seems  to  be  the 
verb,  not  the  participle,  and 
the  construction  one  of  those 
EL. and  kolvov  idioms  through 
which  a  single  verb  is  made  to 
do  duty  for  two  subjects  — 
'  New  honors  come  upon  him 
asdo  our  newgarments, which 
assume  their  proper  shape 
onlywith  thewearing.'  LIKE 
as  an  adverb  is  common  in 
EL.E.  SFI45  STRANGEhas 
its  EL.  sense  of  'new,'  'un- 
familiar.' SF 147  Macbeth's 
proverbial  philosophy  con- 
tinues the  thought  of  v.  143 
and  means  that  the  most 
unpromising  day  has  its  op- 
portunity, not  Cotgrave's"  the 
longest  day  will  have  a  dawn- 
ing," i.e.  come  to  an  end.  As 
Fate  is  on  his  side,  he  will 
await  Fate's  opportunity,  not 
seek  to  forestall  it.  The  prov- 
erb has  not  yet  been  found 
in  the  form  which  Macbeth 
uses,  but  there  can  be  little 
doubt  as  to  its  meaning: 
TIME  and  HOURE  are  con- 
stantly used  in  EL.E.  in  the 
sense  of  'fitting  time'  and 
'appointed  hour';  cp.  "Wee  see  which  way  the  streame  of  Time  doth  runne,  And  are 
enforc'd  from  our  most  quiet  there,  by  the  rough  torrent  of  occasion"  2Hen.4  IV.  1.70  ff. 
The  singular  verb  with  plural  subject  is  an  idiom  found  in  almost  every  EL.  writer.  To 
our  strict  classic  notions  of  congruence  it  seems  ungrammatical,  but  it  is  far  too  frequent 
in  the  best  writers  of  the  1 6th  century  to  allow  us  to  suppose  that  it  gave  offence  to  a  1 6th 
century  audience.  SF  148  WEE  STAY  UPON  YOUR  LEYSURE  is  a  conventional  phrase 
meaning  'we  wait  for  you,'  cp.  N.E. D.  'leisure'  3  c.  SF  149  Macbeth's  answer  is  also 
conventional  and  is  tantamount  to  'Pardon  my  absent-mindedness';  cp.  "Pray  give  me 
favour,  sir"  Hen.8  1. 1. 168.     The  division  of  the  following  verses,  149-156,  in  the  Folio  is 

28 


BANQUO 

TO   ROSSE  AND   ANGUS 

New  honors  come  upon  him 
Like   our   strange   garments    cleave    not   to 

their  mould 
But  with  the  aid  of  use. 

MACBETH 

ASIDE 

Come  what  come  may, 
Time  and  the  houre  runs  through  the  rough- 
est day. 

BANQUO 
Worthy  Macbeth,  wee  stay  upon  yourleysure. 

MACBETH 
Give  me  your  favour:   my  dull  braine  was 

wrought 
With  things  forgotten. 

TO   ROSSE   AND   ANGUS 

Kinde  gentlemen,  your  paines 
Are  registred  where  every  day  I  turne 
The  leafe  to  reade  them.      Let  us  toward 
the  king. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

Give  .  .  favour,  My  .  .  forgotten,  Kinde  .  .  registred,  Where  .  .  leafe,  To  .  .  them, 
Let  .  .  upon,  What  .  .  time,  The  .  .  speake.  EL.  WROUGHT,  the  preterite  of  "  work," 
means  'anxiously  occupied  with';  cp.  "thy  heart's  workings"  Sonn.  XCIII,  1 1,  and  "  I 
am  sicke  with  working  of  my  thoughts"  lHen.6  V.5.86.  In  SF  150  we  have  the  extra  syl- 
lable before  the  caesura  as  in  1.3.72.  Macbeth's  words  already  smack  of  sovereignty 
as  he  tells  Rosse  and  Angus  that  their  services  are  noted  down  in  the  'tablets  of  his  mem- 
ory.'     SF  152    Such  omissions  of  the  verb  are  common  in  M.E.  and  EL.  E.  and  still  occur 

in  MN.E.  poetry.     TOWARD 

ACT    I  SCENE    III  153-156       ismonosyllabic;  intervocalic 

J  -*         '  w  in   such  words,  including 

TO   BANQUO       EL?^"    "    ^    ^    ^ 

Thinke  upon  what  hath  chanc'd,  and  at  more 

time,  1FI53  at  more  time  is 

The  interim  having  weidh'd  it,  let  us  speake     \?£t  better  T°n™»ti  °P' 

o          o             »  r                  "  At  our  more  ley  sure     Meas. 

Our  free  hearts  each  to  Other.  L3.49,  and  "at  more  leasure 

you  shall  understand  of  me" 

BANQUO  Sidney, '  Arcadia,'  p.  60,  illus- 

,T  _fi     11           trating  a  very  common  M.E. 

Very  gladly.       and  EL.E.  use  of  "more"  in 

MACBETH  the  sense   of  'greater,'  'bet- 

Till  then,  enough.      Come,  friends.  ^E^^l.obe.h!^ 

EXEUNT  ject  of  HAVING  WEIGH'D, 
'  lapse  of  time  having  enabled 
us  to  see  the  matter  in  its  true  light.'  It  is  italicized  in  the  Folio  because  a  foreign  word 
in  Shakspere's  time,  cp.  "all  the  Interim  is"  Cass.  II.  1.64.  There  is  no  adverbial  phrase 
"the  interim"  in  N.E.  D. :  when  the  notion  is  adverbial  "the"  is  omitted.  SF  155  FREE 
HEARTS  is  EL.E.  for  'frank,  unrestrained  thoughts,'  cp.  "speake  his  very  heart"  Wint.T. 
IV.4.575,and  "give  me  leave  To  have  free  speech  with  you"  Meas. 1. 1.78.  But  Macbeth 
and  Banquo  never  speak  "their  free  hearts  each  to  other":  their  conversation  about 
their  meeting  with  the  witches  is  from  first  to  last  equivocal.  Even  here  Macbeth  uses  a 
word  for 'frank'  that  also  means 'innocent.'  Banquo  does  "thinke  upon  what  hath  chanc'd," 
and  deeply  too :  but  to  talk  freely  about  it  is  impossible  ;  see  the  opening  verses  of  Act  III. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  IV 

Like  so  many  of  Shakspere's  scenes,  this  one  begins  with  the  end  of  an  action.  Cawdor's 
execution,  like  his  treason,  is  kept  in  the  background,  for  it  is  the  effect  which  flows 
from  it  and  not  the  fact  itself  which  is  of  interest  to  the  play.  It  furnishes  a  linking 
association,  too,  between  the  scenes  in  the  fact  that  Cawdor's  discovered  treachery  is 
of  little  consequence  to  Duncan  compared  with  the  intended  treachery  of  Macbeth. 
Steevens  thought  that  Shakspere,  in  describing  the  execution  of  Cawdor,  had  in  mind 
Essex's  behaviour  on  the  scaffold  in  1 601  :  this  may  well  be,  though  such  scenes  were 
not  uncommon  in  the  London  of  Shakspere's  day.  The  motive  for  the  immediate 
execution  of  the  murder  which  Scene  IV  leads  up  to  is  contained  in  48  ff.  Macbeth  has 
been  the  natural  heir  to  the  crown  after  Duncan.  Duncan's  making  of  his  son  Prince  of 
Cumberland  is  tantamount  to  settling  the  succession  on  him,  a  consequence  which 
Macbeth's  victory  brings  about.  This  act  of  Duncan's  brings  Macbeth's  ambition  to  a 
head  and  makes  it  impossible  for  chance  to  crown  him  king  without  his  stir. 

29 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SCENE    IV:    THE    PALACE 
ENTER   KING 
DONALBAINE   LENOX 


AT   FORRES:    FLOURISH 

MALCOLME 

AND    ATTENDANTS 

I  — 14 

KING 

S  execution  done  on  Cawdor;  or 

not 
Those    in    commission    yet    re- 
turn'd? 
MALCOLME 

My  liege, 
They  are  not  yet  come  back.      But  I  have 

spoke 
With  one  that  saw  him  die,  who  did  report 
That  very  frankly  hee  confessed  his  treasons, 
Implor'd  your  highnesse  pardon  and  set  forth 
A  deepe  repentance:   nothing  in  his  life 
Became  him  like  the  leaving  it;  hee  dy'de 
As  one  that  had  beene  studied  in  his  death 
To  throw  away  the  dearest  thing  he  ow'd, 
As  ?t  were  a  carelesse  trifle. 
KING 

There  rs  no  art 
To  finde  the  mindes  construction  in  the  face : 
He  was  a  gentleman  on  whom  I  built 
An  absolute  trust. 


<lr  I  The  Folio  verse  division, 
Is  .  .  Cawdor, Or  .  .  return'd, 
My  .  .  back,  But  .  .  die,  Who 
.  .  hee,  Confessed  .  .  pardon, 
And  .  .  repentance,  Nothing 
.  .  him,  Like  .  .  dy'de,  is  un- 
doubtedly incorrect.  But  it  is  a 
question  whether  OR  is  a  mis- 
print for  "are";  such  omis- 
sions of  the  verb  where  it  can 
be  supplied  from  the  context 
are  frequently  found  in  M.E. 
and  e.  N.E.,  and  the  king's 
question  seems  to  be  a  double 
one:  cp.  "And  I,  my  Lord, 
am  Mandricard  of  Mexico, 
Whose  climate  fairer  than 
Iberia's"  Greene,  'Orl.  Fur.' 
60,  where  the  modern  editor 
also  assumes  a  misprint:  the 
words  are  therefore  printed 
as  in  the  Folio,  despite  Dyce's 
"school-girl,"  who  would  be 
the  person  most  likely  to  u  per- 
ceive that  or  is  a  misprint  for 
are.11  SF  2  IN  COMMISSION 
is  a  legal  expression  meaning 
'  authorized  to  hold  trial '  j  cp. 
"itismyCosin  Silenceincom- 
mission  with  mee"  2Hen.4 
III. 2. 97.  SF3  Perfect  par- 
ticiples had  two  forms  in  M.E.  according  as  the  O.  E.  final  n  was  lost  or  retained,  and 
many  of  these  double  forms  survived  in  EL.E.  MN.E.  usually  prefers  the  form  with- 
out the  -n,  but  in  such  words  as  *  grown,'  'shown,'  'spoken,'  'taken'  the  -n  has  been  re- 
tained: so  that  Shakspere's  SPOKE,  which  is  good  EL.E.,  appears  to  us  ungrammatical. 
*1F6  Words,  like  HIGHNESSE,  ending  in  -es  had  no  possessive  case  in  M.E.  In  e. N.E. 
they  sometimes,  especially  in  the  case  of  proper  nouns,  make  the  genitive  with  "his,"  but 
are  often  uninfected  as  here  ;  the  apostrophe  after  the  s  is  a  modern  device.  SET  FORTH 
is  in  EL.E. 'to  declare  publicly,'  a  meaning  still  occasionally  met  with  in  MN.E.  *IF  7  EL. 
DEEPE,  with  words  of  emotion  indicating  intensity  of  feeling,  has  a  somewhat  wider  ap- 
plication than  in  MN.  E.,  cp.  N.  E.  D.  8  b  ;  though  no  instances  are  there  cited  for  EL.  E.,  this 
one  seems  sufficiently  clear.  A  "deep  sense  of  sin"  would  be  entirely  consonant  with 
MN.E.  idiom,  but  hardly  a  "deep  repentance."  SF  9  STUDIED, 'trained,' 'practised,' is 
in  EL. E.  used  of  persons  as  well  as  of  manner;  cp.  North's  Plutarch,  1 593r  P-  759r 
"besides  that  rare  gift  [i.e.  of  speaking  well]  he  [Ceesar]  was  excellently  well  studied,  so 
that  doubtlesse  he  was  counted  the  second  man  for  eloquence  in  his  time."      SF 10  OWE 

30\ 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


has  here  the  meaning  of  '  possess,'  cp.  1.3. 76.  SF  1 1  AS  in  M.  E.  and  e.  N.  E.  is  often  equiv- 
alent to  MN.E.  'as  if  and  is  followed  by  the  subjunctive  mood.  CARELESSE  is  EL.E.  for 
'uncared  for/  cp.  "their  careless  harmes"  Spenser, 4  Faerie  Queene'  IV. 4. 38  (N.E.D.  4  a). 
ART  TO  FINDE  is  a  M.E.  and  e. N.E.  idiom  whose  MN.E.  form  would  be  'art  of  finding.' 

*1FI2      CONSTRUCTION      is 


ACT  I 


SCENE  IV 


14-27 


'interpretation,'  cp.  "O  ille- 
gitimate construction ! "  Ado 

III.  4.  50.  *1F  14  ABSOLUTE 
was  often  clipped  in  EL.  E.  to 
"abs'lute,"  cp.  "  I  speake  not 
as  in  absolute  feare  of  you" 

IV.  3-  38.  Duncan's  remark 
about  Cawdor,followedbythe 
immediate  entrance  of  Mac- 
beth, has  a  peculiar  pathos. 

SF 1 6  contains  the  extra  syl- 
lable before  the  caesura  with 
a  reversal  after  it.  *#  17  In 
EL.  E.  the  article  is  often  omit- 
ted before  the  superlative  de- 
gree :  a  similar  instance  oc- 
curs in  III.  3. 21, "We  havelost 
beste  halfe  of  our  affaire"  ;  cp. 
"in  servilst  place"  Drayton, 
'  Leg.  of  Duke  of  N .,'  Sp.  Soc, 
II. 419-  WING  is  EL.E.  for 
'flight'  and  is  not  a  metony- 
my as  it  seems  to  be  in  MN.E. ; 
cp.  "they  stoupe  with  the 
like  wing"  Hen.5  IV.  1. 1 12; 
a  similar  notion  occurs  in 
Wint.T.  V.  2.62,  "which  lames 
reportto  follow  it."  SF  ^PRO- 
PORTION is  'portion,'  'allot- 
ment ' in  EL.  E.,cp.  "her prom- 
is'd  proportions  Came  short 
of  composition"  Meas.  V.  I.' 
219  ;  it  seems  here  to  be  used 
in  an  active  sense  and  mean 
'proper  apportioning.'  ^20  MINE  here  means  'in  my  power,'  cp.  "let  that  be  mine," 
i.e.  'a  thing  for  me  to  attend  to,'  Meas. II. 2. 12.  ONELY  and  other  EL.  adverbs  had  not 
that  fixity  of  position  which  they  have  in  MN.E.;  cp.  "onely  I  say,"  i.e.  'I  only  say,' III. 
6.2,  and  "onely  in  the  world  I  fil  up  a  place"  A.Y.L.  1.2.204.  Duncan  means 'it  is  only 
left  for  me  to  say.'  *1F22  OWE  has  both  meanings  here  (cp.  note  on  1.4. 10) :  'the  service 
I  owe  you  and  the  loyaltie  I  feel,'  for  Macbeth  would  hardly  represent  his  loyalty  as  an 
obligation  ;  but  the  two  notions  are  as  one,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  sentence  are  repre- 
sented by  IT  SELFE  :  '  in  what  I  have  done  the  pleasure  of  service  and  the  honour  of  loyalty 
reward  themselves.'  Macbeth's  heart  is  not  "free"  and  both  words  and  rhythm  reflect  his 
embarrassment.  His  thought,  however,  is  the  same  as  is  contained  in  the  king's  words  to 
Wolsey,  Hen.8III.2. 179  ff->  "  Fairely  answer'd:  A  loyall  and  obedient  subject  is  Therein 
illustrated,  the  honor  of  it  Does  pay  the  act  of  it,"  i.e.  the  honour  of  loyalty  rewards  the  act 
of  obedience.     ^24    DUTIES  is  used  in  both  senses,  'marks  of  respect  due  to  a  superior' 

31 


ENTER  MACBETH  BANQUO  ROSSE  AND  ANGUS 

O  worthyest  cousin, 
The  sinne  of  my  ingratitude  even  now 
Was  heavie  on  me.    Thou  art  so  farre  before, 
That  swiftest  wing  of  recompence  is  slow 
To  overtake  thee.    Would  thou  hadst  lesse 

deserv'd, 
That  the  proportion  both  of  thanks  and  pay- 
ment 
Might  have  beene  mine!  onely  I  have  left  to 

say, 
More  is  thy  due  then  more  then  all  can  pay. 

MACBETH 
The  service  and  the  loyaltie  I  owe, 
In  doing  it,  payes  it  selfe.    Your  highnesse 

part 
Is  to  receive  our  duties:    and  our  duties 
Are  to  your  throne  and  state  children  and 

servants ; 
Which   doe  but  what  they  should,  by  doing 

every  thing 
Safe  toward  your  love  and  honor. 


'! 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

and  'obligation/  especially  that  of  loyalty.  *IF  25  ff.  The  one  is  personal  (THRONE)  and  in- 
volves obedience  (CHILDREN),  the  other  is  official  (STATE)  and  involves  loyalty  (SER- 
VANTS): the  throne's  reward  of  the  one  duty  is  (v. 27)  LOVE,  the  state's  reward  of  the 
other  is  HONOR:  as  obedient  children  subjects  are  'sure' of  the  one,  as  loyal  servants 
they  are  'secure'  as  to  the  other.  Macbeth  may  also  mean  that  this  loving  and  willing 
service  makes  those  who  tender  it  SAFE,  i.e.  'beyond  the  power  of  doing  harm,' cp.  1 1 1. 4. 25 
and  Baret,  'Alvearie,'  "I  have  kept  my  mind  safe  from  committing  anie  evill  or  mischief." 
That  'compelled  services  are  dangerous'  was  a  current  aphorism  in  Shakspere's  time. 
'"Tis  a  studied  not  a  present  thought,  By  duty  ruminated."  The  words  SAFE,  etc.,  have 
given  great  difficulty  to  Shakspere  editors  :  but  to  'do  a  thing  safe'  is  not  English  idiom,  cp. 
N.  E.  D. '  do ' ;  "  safe  "  as  the  EL.  adverb  for  '  safely '  does  not  make  sense  ;  and  '  safe  to  ward ' 
spoils  the  metre  besides  causing  an  awkward  inversion.  The  words  refer,  not  to  'doing,' 
but  to  "children  and  servants."  The  text  is  here  printed  as  in  FO.  I  except  that  its  line 
division,  In  .  .  selfe,  Your  .  .  duties,  And  .  .  state,  Children  .  .  should,  By  .  .  love,  And  .  . 
honor,  is  altered  to  make  perfect  verses. 


^29  GROWING,  'fruitage,' cp 
cing  in  power,'  cp.  "  Men  grow 
vours"  Jonson,  'Sejanus' 
V.  10,  and  "Had  he  done  so 
to  great  and  growing  men, 
They  might  have  liv'd  to  beare, 
and  he  to  taste  Their  fruites  of 
dutie"  Rich.2  III. 4.61.  SF  30 
NOR  ..  KNOWNENOLESSE, 
i.e.  'and  .  .  no  lesse  acknow- 
ledged,' with  the  common  EL. 
double-negative  construction 
and  NO  LESSE  in  the  sense 
of  'as  much.'  *ff32  Banquo 
plays  upon  the  word  GROW, 
thinking  of  it  in  the  sense 
of  'becoming  fixed,'  'attached 
to.'  Milton  puns  on  the  word 
in  'Par.  Lost'  XII.  351  : 
"grown  In  wealth  and  multi- 
tude, factious  they  grow." 
SF  33  YOUROWNE, 'to  your 
advantage,  not  mine.'  *ff  34 
WANTON  has  here  the  sense 
of  'capricious,'  and  IN  FUL- 
NESSE  means  'by  reason  of 
satiety/  cp.  N.  E.  D.  4.  SF  35 
DROPS  was  more  frequently 
used  in  EL.  E.  for  '  tears '  than 
now  ;  cp. "  drops  of  modestie  " 
Merch.  II. 2. 195,  "these  fool- 
ish drops"  ibid.  II.  3.  13,  and 
"sorrowfull  drops"  Titus  V. 
3.  154.  The  missing  un- 
stressed verse  impulse  marks 
the  pause  between  the  two 
thoughts.  $37  ff.:  The  plural 


,N.E.  D.2  b;  the  word  was  also  used  in  EL.  E.  of  'advan- 
not  in  the  state,  but  as  they  are  planted  Warme  in  his  fa- 


ACT  I 


SCENE  IV 


KING 


27-40 


Welcome  hither: 
I  have  begun  to  plant  thee,  and  will  labour 
To  make  thee  full  of  growing.   Noble  Banquo, 
That  hast  no   lesse  deserv'd,  nor  must  be 

knowne 
No  lesse  to  have  done  so:  let  me  enfold  thee 
And  hold  thee  to  my  heart. 

BANQUO 

There  if  I  grow, 
The  harvest  is  your  owne. 

KING 

My  plenteous  joyes, 
Wanton  in  fulnesse,  seeke  to  hide  themselves 
In  drops  of  sorrow.  Sonnes,  kinsmen,  thanes, 
And  you  whose  places  are  the  nearest,  know, 
We  will  establish  our  estate  upon 
Our  eldest,  Malcolme,  whom  we  name  here- 
after 
The   Prince  of  Cumberland:   which  honor 

must 
Not  unaccompanied  invest  him  onely, 
32 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  I 


SCENE  IV 


41-53 


But  signes  of  noblenesse,  like  starres,  shall 

shine 
On  all  deservers. 

TO   MACBETH 

From  hence  to  Envernes, 
And  binde  us  further  to  you. 

MACBETH 
The  rest  is  labor,  which  is  not  us'd  for  you: 
I  'le  be  my  selfe  the  herbengjer,  and  make 

joyfull 
The  hearing  of  my  wife  with  your  approach  ; 
So  humbly  take  my  leave. 

KING 

My  worthy  Cawdor! 

MACBETH 

ASIDE 

The  Prince  of  Cumberland !   that  is  a  step 
On  which   I   must  fall  downe,  or  else  o're- 

leape, 
For  in  my  way  it  lyes.     Starres,  hide  your 

fires, 
Let  not  lisjht  see  my  black  and  deepe  desires : 
The  eye  winke  at  the  hand;  yet  let  that  bee, 
Which  the  eye  feares,when  it  is  done,  to  see. 

EXIT 


of  majesty  is  usually  used  in 
M.  E.  ande.  N.  E.  when  princes 
speak.  'To  establish  the  es- 
tate upon'  is  EL.  legal  phrase- 
ology for  fixing  the  succes- 
sion, cp.  '  Phr.  Gen.,'  "an 
estate,  or  right,  and  title,  jus, 
autoritas."  The  title  PRINCE 
OF  CUMBERLAND  was  the 
official  style  of  the  Scottish 
heir  apparent,  corresponding 
to  'Prince  of  Wales' in  the 
English  succession.  Holins- 
hed  says,  "shortlie  after  [the 
weird  sisters  episode]  Dun- 
cane  . .  made  the  elder  of  them, 
called  Malcolme,  prince  of 
Cumberland  as  it  were  there- 
by to  appoint  him  his  succes- 
sor in  the  kingdome,  immedi- 
ately after  his  deceasse"  ;  the 
prince  was  still  underage,  ac- 
cording to  Holinshed,  and  but 
for  this  appointment  by  the 
will  of  the  sovereign  Macbeth 
was  the  next  heir  to  the  crown 
until  Malcolm  came  of  age ; 
hence  his  aside  in  vv.48ff.,and 
Malcolm's  "This  murtherous 
shaft  that's  shot  Hath  not  yet 
lighted"  in  II. 3- 147. 


SF4I  SIGNESinEL.E.  means 
'markes  of  distinction,'  cp. 
"leaving  me  no  signe  .  .  To 
shew  the  world  I  am  a  gentle- 
man "  Rich. 2  III.  1. 25  ;  there  is 
also  a  graceful  reference  in  the 
word  to  the  constellations  of 
the  heavens.  SF 42  ENVERNES,  the  Folio  spelling  of  MN.E.  'Inverness/  follows  Holins- 
hed.  Modern  Scotch  place-names  in  "Inver-"  were  in  Middle  Scotch  "Enver-,"  or 
"Enner-,"  cp.  Bruce,  ed.  Skeat,  XVI.  549,  IX.  34,  etc. ;  these  earlier  forms  doubtless 
remained  in  the  spelling  of  the  1 6th  century;  e.g.  "Innerness"  occurs  in  Drummond's 
History  of  Scotland,  1655,  p.  65-  IF 44  REST  is  used  in  its  EL.  sense  of  'ease,'  'idle- 
ness'; cp.  "My  rest  and  negligence  befriends  thee  now"  Tro.&Cr.V.  6. 17.  *ff45  A  HER- 
BENGER  was  a  royal  messenger  sent  to  purvey  lodgings  for  the  king  and  his  suite,  N.  E.  D.  2. 
The  late  M.E  (1.  M.E.)  form  of  this  word,  "harbeger,"  "harbiger,"  developed  an  n  before 
the  g  in  e. N.E.,  like  "messager,"  "messenger."  But  the  form  without  n  was  still  in 
use  in  the  1 6th  century,  and  this  would  be  subject  to  the  EL.  syncopation  and  become 
HAR^'GER;  Shakspere  probably  intended  this  dissyllabic  form  here,as  Middleton  evidently 
does  in  his  'Virgin  Martyr,'  1622,  1. 1.6:  "The  harbinger  to  prepare  their  entertainment." 
SF48  STEP  in  EL. E.  means  both  'round  of  a  ladder'  (cp.  its  gloss  "climacter"  in  '  Phr. 
Gen.')  and  'promotion.'    The  same  play  of  meaning  is  found  in  Hen. 8  1 1. 4. 1 12  :  "You  have 

33 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

by  fortune  and  his  Highnesse  favors,  Gone  slightly  o're  lowe  steppes,  and  now  are 
mounted,"  etc.  *ff  49  As  the  vowel  of  LEAPE  was  still  long  e  in  EL.  E.,  not  i  as  now,  the 
word  rhymed  with  "step,"  cp.  note  on  1. 1.6.  *ff  50  EL.  STARRES  included  the  sun  and 
moon  as  well  as  the  stars  and  planets.  *lr  52  WINKE  in  EL.  E.  was  used  to  connote  more 
than  a  momentary  closing  of 

!«nieryu\cp,,Sonn'  LVI'6'     ACT  I  SCENE  IV  54-58 

"fill  Thy  hungne  eies,  even  ^ww^iw    *»  ^-r      ^^ 

till  they  winck  withfulnesse," 

and  "good  boy,  winke  at  me,  KING 


Timon  III.  1 .  47.    The  verb  is 
imperative 

<ff54  As  oi 

the  imagination  must  supply 


and  say  thou  saw'stmee  not"     True,  worthy  Banquo,  he  is  full  so  valiant; 

And  in  his  commendations  I  am  fed; 

It  is  a  banquet  to  me.    Let's  after  him, 
IF  54  As  often  in  Shakspere,     Whose  care  is  done  before  to  bid  us  welcome : 

the  imagination  must  supply       T  .  °        . 

the  preceding  conversation:      It  is  a  peerelesse  kinsman. 

Banquo    has    been    praising 

Macbeth's  jrowess and  Dun-  FLOURISH:   EXEUNT 

can  agrees:    'he  is  quite  as 

brave  as  you  say  he  is.'  SF55  The  HIS  is,  of  course,  objective  genitive,  'with  commen- 
dations of  him.'  A  similar  notion  occurs  in  "cram's  with  prayse  and  make's  as  fat  as 
tame  things"  Wint.T.  1. 2.91.  SF57  CARE  is  'loving  regard,'  cp.  "The  reverent  care  I 
beareunto  my  lord"  2Hen.6  III.  1.34.  *ff58  IT  IS  in  M.E.  and  EL.  E.  is  frequently  used  for 
'he  is'  to  express  affection;  cp.  Marston,  "'Tis  a  good  boy"  'Antonio  and  Mellida,' 
III.  1. 105. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  V 

Lady  Macbeth's  influence  over  her  husband,  the  details  of  her  plan  to  murder  Duncan, 
and  her  part  in  carrying  it  out,  do  not  belong  to  the  story  of  Duncan's  murder  as  told  by 
Holinshed,  who  merely  says:  "but  speciallie  his  wife  lay  sore  upon  him  to  attempt  the 
thing,  as  she  that  Was  verie  ambitious,  burning  in  unquenchable  desire  to  beare  the  name 
of  queene,"  p.  171.  But  on  pp.  150  ff.  is  the  story  of  the  murder  of  King  Duff,  one  of 
Duncan's  predecessors:  how  King  Duff  hanged  Donwald's  kinsmen;  how  Donwald's 
wife,  perceiving  the  manifest  tokens  of  his  grief,  "ceased  not  to  travell  with  him  till  she 
understood"  its  cause  ;  how  she  "bare  no  lesse  malice  toward  the  king"  and  "counselled 
him  to  make  him  awaie" ;  how  "Donwald  being  the  more  kindled  in  wrath  by  the  words 
of  his  wife  determined  to  follow  her  advice."  The  scene  opens  abruptly.  Lady  Macbeth 
is  reading  the  latter  part  of  Macbeth's  letter  as  she  enters.  Davenant  thought  the  opening 
too  abrupt,  and  prefixed  an  introductory  dialogue  between  Lady  Macbeth  and  Lady  Mac- 
duff about  their  absent  husbands.  But  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  Davenant  quite  mis- 
construed the  scene.  It  is  one  of  Shakspere's  characteristics  to  plunge  in  medias  res, 
leaving  the  imagination  to  supply  the  preceding  action.  We  are  led  to  suppose  that  let- 
ters were  written  by  Macbeth  in  the  interval  between  Scenes  III  and  IV;  we  are  made  to 
infer,  too,  from  Lady  Macbeth's  intimate  knowledge  of  her  husband's  character  that  she 
was  'partner'  in  his  counsels,  and  in  her  "chastise  with  the  valour  of  my  tongue"  we  read 
as  clearly  as  words  can  say  it  the  secret  of  her  influence  over  him.  It  is  just  such  touches 
as  these  that  distinguish  Shakspere's  plays  from  those  of  his  Elizabethan  contemporaries  ; 
and  it  is  this  trick  of  his,  by  which  he  makes  the  mere  turn  of  a  phrase  do  the  work  of 
categoric  statement  or  of  extended  dialogue  and  action,  that  gives  his  plays  their  remark- 
able literary  interest. 

34 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SCENE  V:    INVERNESS:    MACBETH'S   CASTLE:    ENTER 
MACBETH'S   WIFE   ALONE   WITH    A    LETTER 


I  —  1 5 


<IFl  IN  THE  DAY  OF  SUC- 
CESSE  means  'on  the  day 
of  victory':  IN  is  frequently 
used  in  EL.  E.  where  MN.E. 
requires  'on,'  cp.  "that  our 
armies  joyn  not  in  a  hot  day" 
2Hen.4,I.2.234,  and  "in  the 
day  of  battell"  Rich.3  IV. 
4.  188.  *ff3  PERFECT'ST, 
'most  accurate/  cp.  "a  per- 
fect guesse"2Hen.4  III.  1.88. 
REPORT  may  be  a  reference 
to  inquiries  that  Macbeth  has 
instituted;  but  if  THE  is 
equivalent  to  'their/  and  RE- 
PORT has  its  common  EL. 
meaning,  'a  statement  of 
facts/  the  superlative  might 
have  its  EL.  absolute  signifi- 
cation and  the  whole  phrase 
mean  'their  very  accurate 
statements' ;  cp.  "observe his 
reports  for  me/'  i.e.  'what  he 
says'  (but  Parroles  is  speak- 
ing), All's  W.  II.  1.46,  and 
"Sonne  to  the  Queene  after 
his  owne  report,"  i.e.  'ac- 
cording to  his  own  statement'  Cym.  IV. 2. 119;  cp.,  too,  Cooper,  "nuntiatio,  a  report,  a 
shewing  or  declaring."  The  superlative  ending  was  affixed  to  polysyllabic  words  in 
M.E.  and  e.N.E.,  and  EL.  superlatives  were  commonly  contracted  as  here:  e.g.  "fertilst 
soyle"  Drayton,  'Harmony  of  Church/  Per.  Soc,  p.  8 ;  "welcomst"  Jonson,  'Silent 
Woman/  I640,p.462.  <1F6  WHILES  is  an  EL.  form  of  'while.'  RAPT  IN  is  'carried 
away  by/  cp.  1.3.  142.  *f7  MISSIVES,  'messengers/  cp.  "did  gibe  my  misive  out 
of  audience"  Ant.&Cl.  II. 2. 74.  ALL-HAILE,  cp.  Cotgrave,  "saluer,  to  salute,  greet,  all- 
haile,"  and  Florio,  "salutare,  to  salute,  to  greet,  to  al-haile"  (latter  quotation  in  CI.  Pr.). 
*l9  The  notion  in  REFERR'D  seems  to  be  that  of  appealing  his  claim  to  higher  power: 
cp.  Kersey,  Diet.,  1708,  "refer,  to  leave  to  ones  judgment  or  determination"  ;  and  COM- 
MING  ON  looks  as  if  it  related  to  the  advent  of  a  judge,  a  meaning  which  the  phrase 
seems  to  have  in  Hen. 5  1.2.289,  "But  this  lyes  all  within  the  wil  of  God,  To  whom  1  do 
appeale,  and  in  whose  name,  Tel  you  the  Dolphin,  I  am  comming  on,  To  venge  me  as  I 
may."  But  as  this  meaning  is  not  supported  by  N.E.  D.  we  shall  have  to  take  COM- 
MING ON  in  its  sense  of  'maturing'  —  'to  the  fulness  of  time.'  *ff  12  DELIVER,  'tell/ 
'communicate/  cp.  "her  verie  words  Didst  thou  deliver  to  me"  Err.  II. 2. 166.  *ffI3 
LOOSE  is  an  EL.  spelling  for  'lose/  cp.  "loosing  his  verdure"  Two  Gent.  1. 1.49,  and 
"This  deceit  looses  the  name  of  craft"  Merry  W.  V. 5-239-  ('Loose'  and  'lose'  were 
identical  in  M.E. ;  MN.E.  'loose'  with  the  voiceless  s  is  due  to  the  influence  of  the  adjec- 
tive.) THE  DUES  is  'thy  dues/  i.e.  'thy  rightful  share  in  the  joy  of  my  success.'  The 
spirit  of  Macbeth's  letter  bespeaks  an  intimate  relation  between  him  and  his  wife,  of 

35 


LADY  MACBETH  READING 

HEY  met  me  in  the  day  of  suc- 
cesse;  and  I  have  learn'd  by  the 
perfect'st  report,  they  have  more 
in  them  then  mortall  knowledge. 
When  I  burnt  in  desire  to  ques- 
tion them  further,  they  made  themselves  ayre, 
into  which  they  vanished.  Whiles  I  stood 
rapt  in  the  wonder  of  it,  came  missives  from 
the  king,  who  all-hail'd  me  'Thane  of  Caw- 
dor'; by  which  title,  before,  these  weyward 
sisters  saluted  me  and  referr'd  me  to  the  com- 
ming on  of  time,  with  '  Haile,  king  that  shalt 
be!'  This  have  I  thought  good  to  deliver 
thee,  my  dearest  partner  of  greatnesse,  that 
thou  might'st  not  loose  the  dues  of  rejoycing 
by  being  ignorant  of  what  greatnesse  is  prom- 
is'd  thee.    Lay  it  to  thy  heart,  and  farewell." 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


which  Shakspere  gives  us 
glimpses  all  through  the  early 
part  of  the  play.  SF  17  FEARE 
in  EL.  E.  means  'to  fear  for,' 
'be  concerned  about/  cp. 
Ham.  IV.  5-  122,  where  the 
king  says,  "  Do  not  feare  our 
person :  There  's  such  di- 
vinity doth  hedge  a  king," 
etc.  NATURE  has  here  its 
usual  EL.  meaning  of  'char- 
acter,' cp.  I.  3-  137.  SF  18 
O'TH',  cp.  note  to  1. 3- 7.  HU- 
MANE is  EL.  spelling  for 
'human';  'human'  and  'hu- 
mane' is  a  stress-distinction 
laterthan  Shakspere.  Theex- 
pressions  "milke  of  humane 
kindnesse" and"  sweet  milke 
of  concord"  IV. 3-98  were  in 
EL.  E.  striking  metaphors,  the 
first  of  which  has  become 
familiar  idiom.  Goneril  ac- 
cuses Albany  of  "milky  gen- 
tlenesse"  and  "harmefull 
mildnesse"in  Lear  I.4.364ff. 
(cited  by  CI.  Pr.).  SF 19  TO 
CATCH  THE  NEEREST  WAY 
is  'to  see  the  shortest  road  to 
the  fulfilment  of  your  ambi- 
tion,' cp.  "He  conceiveth 
(catcheth)  all  things,  who 
desireth  to  do  it"  Come- 
nius,  'Janua  Linguarum'  12. 
WOULD'ST  here  and  in 
v.  21  preserves  the  original 
independent  meaning  of  the 
auxiliary,'desirest.'  SF  2 1  ILL- 
NESSE  is  EL.E  for  'unscru- 
pulousness,'    cp.    N.E. D.    I. 


ACT  I 


SCENE  V 


I6-31 


Glamys  thou  art,  and  Cawdor,  and  shalt  be 
What  thou  art  promis'd:  yet  doe  I  feare  thy 

nature; 
It  is  too  full  o'th'  milke  of  humane  kindnesse 
To  catch  the  neerest  way.    Thou  would'st 

be  great; 
Art  not  without  ambition,  but  without 
The  illnesse  should  attend  it.    What  thou 

would'st  highly, 
That  would'st  thou  holily :   would'st  not  play 

false, 
And  yet  would'st  wrongly  winne.    Thould'st 

have,  great  Glamys, 
That  which  cryes  "Thus  thou  must  doe"  if 

thou  have  it, 
And  that  which  rather  thou  do'st  feare  to  doe 
Then  wishest  should  be  undone.     High  thee 

hither, 
That  I  may  powre  my  spirits  in  thine  earer 
And  chastise  with  the  valour  of  my  tongue 
All  that  impeides  thee  from  the  golden  round 
Which    fate   and   metaphysicall    ayde   doth 

seeme 
To  have  thee  crown'd  withall. 

ENTER   MESSENGER 

What  is  your  tidings? 

EL.  HIGH  denotes  earnest- 
ness of  any  feeling,  cp.  "A  high  hope  for  a  low  heaven"  L.  L.L.I.  1. 196  and  MN.E.  "high 
hopes."  Here  HIGHLY  seems  to  refer  to  the  intensity  of  Macbeth's  ambition,  cp.N.E.D.  5- 
SF22  HOLILY  frequently  occurs  in  EL.E.  with  the  meaning  'in  a  scrupulous  way,'  cp. 
N.  E.  D.  2.  Vv.  22-24  have  occasioned  great  difficulty  to  Shakspere  editors.  There  are  no 
quotation-marks  in  the  Folio  and  the  verse  division  is  Thould'st . .  cryes,  Thus  . .  it,  And  . . 
doe.  Noneof  the  emendations  and  explanations  clears  awaythe  difficulty,  which  seemsto  lie 
in  an  EL.  and  koivov  construction  by  which  CRYES  is  first  used  in  its  sense  of  'exclaim- 
ing' and  is  then  understood  in  its  other  EL.  sense  of  'demanding'  with  a  direct  object 
after  it.  This  latter  sense  we  have  in  Oth.  1.3-277,  "Th'  affaire  cries  hast."  Such  syn- 
tax is  found  also  in  Merch.  1 1. 4. 30, "  she  hath  directed  How  I  shall  take  her  from  her  Father's 
house,  {^sc.  directed  in  the  sense  of  'communicated,'  N.E. D.  2  b]  What  gold  and  jewels 
she  is  furnisht  with,  What  pages  suite  she  hath  in  readinesse,"  and  in  Pericles,  Prol., 

36 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


"to  keep  [i.e.  retain]  her  still  and  [sc.  keep  in  the  sense  of  'hold']  men  in  awe."  The 
meaning,  then,  is  'Thould'st  have,  great  Glamis,  that  which  cries  "Thus  must  thou  do," 
etc.,  .  .  and  requires  that  which  thou,'  etc.  SF 26  TO  BE  UNDONE  means  'not  to  be 
done,'  cp.  "un-provokes,"  'fails  to  provoke,'  II. 3. 32;  this  is  a  frequent  signification  of 
the  prefix  in  EL.  E.  HIGH  is  not  a  misprint  for  "hie,"  'to  hasten,' due  to  confusion  of  the 
verb  with  the  adjective,  but  a  regular  EL. E.  spelling  of  the  word;  cp.  M.E.  "highen." 
Lady  Macbeth's  shrewd  and  clear-cut  analysis  of  her  husband's  character  has  already  been 
foreshadowed  in  Macbeth's  own  words,  1.4.52,  "let  that  bee  which  the  eye  feares,  when  it 
is  done,  to  see."  His  weakness  comes  to  the  fore  again  in  1.7. 1 6  ff.,  and  follows  him 
like  a  Nemesis  all  through  the  play,  lashing  him  with  whips  of  steel.  She  sums  it  up  in  the 
words  "humane  kindnesse"  —  a  strain  of  sentimentality,  a  touch  of  human  sympathy  that 
makes  him  kin  with  his  victim.  Like  many  a  brave  man,  he  is  both  superstitious  and 
sentimental.  He  can  shed  blood  relentlessly  in  the  heat  of  battle  and  action,  but  cold- 
blooded murder  he  balks  at.  Without  her  instigation  he  never  would  have  'screwed  his 
courage  to  the  sticking-point.'  *ff  27  SPIRITS,  'vigor," energy,'  cp.  "Faire  daughter  you 
doe  draw  my  spirits  from  me,  With  new  lamenting  ancient  over-sights"  2Hen. 4  II. 3-46. 
*1F  28  CHASTISE  is  stressed  on  the  first  syllable  in  EL.  E.,  cp.  note  on  the  word  in  N.  E.  D. 
It  has  also  the  connotation  of  putting  down  rebellion,  N.E.D.3b.  ^29  IMPEIDES 
seems  to  be  a  spelling  of  "impede"  based  on  the  analogy  of  "receive,"  etc.;  so  "theis," 
"feitures,"  "retreit,"  etc.,  occur  frequently  in  EL. E.     ROUND  is  one  of  the  words  for 

'circle'  in  M.E.  and  e.N.E. ; 


ACT  I 


SCENE  V 


32-39 


Shakspere  frequently  uses  it 
for  '  crown ' ;  cp.  IV.  1 .  88  and 
"With  rounds  of  waxen  tapers 
on  their  heads"  Merry  W. 
IV.  4. 50,  and  Coles,  "a 
round,  orbis."  SF  30  META- 
PHYSICALL  is  EL.  E.  for  '  su- 
pernatural,' cp.  Cotgrave, 
"supernaturel,  supernaturall, 
metaphisicall,  above  nature." 
DOTH  SEEME  TO  is  EL.E. 
for 'is  about  to,' cp.  1. 2. 27  and 
note.  ^31  WITHALL,'with,' 
cp.  note  to  1.3-57.  EL.  TID- 
INGS, like  MN.  "news,"  is 
often  singular. 

SF  32THOU  'RTMADTO  SAY 
IT  :  cp.  "  I  shall  be  hated  to 
report  it"  Wint.  T.  III. 2. 144. 
SF34  INFORM'D  is  EL.E.  for 
'given  directions,'  cp.  N.E.  D. 
4  c.  In  PREPARATION  the 
suffix  -tion  is  dissyllabic,  cp. 
1.2. 18,  and  the  verse  is  there- 
fore quite  normal.  SF36HAD 
THE  SPEED  OF:  a  similar 
phrase  is  found  in  "the  slow 
outstrippeth  (gets  the  start  of)  the  swift"  Comenius,  'Janua'  809-  In  both  of  these 
idioms  the  preposition  retains  some  of  its  M.E.  connotation  'away  from.'  SF37  WHO  is 
the  connective  relative,  'and  almost  dead  for  breath,  he  had,'  cp.  1. 2. 21.  SF  38  TENDING, 
'attention,'  cp.  Cooper's  Thesaurus,  "curatio,  diligent  tending,"  and  "tend"  in  v.  42. 

37 


MESSENGER 
The  king  comes  here  to-night. 
LADY  MACBETH 

Thou  frt  mad  to  say  it. 
Is  not  thy  master  with  him?  who,  wer  ft  so, 
Would  have  inform'd  for  preparation. 

MESSENGER 
So  please  you,  it  is  true:  our  thane  is  com- 

ming: 
One  of  my  fellowes  had  the  speed  of  him; 
Who  almost  dead  for  breath,  had  scarcely 

more 
Then  would  make  up  his  message. 

LADY  MACBETH 

Give  him  tending; 
He  brings  great  newes. 

EXIT   MESSENGER 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SF  39  RAVEN,  like  'heaven,' 
'seven/  and  participles  in 
-en,  is  often  monosyllabic  in 
e.  N.E.  It  was  a  popular  su- 
perstition that  the  croaking  of 
a  raven  was  always  an  omen 
of  ill  and  at  times  foreboded 
death ;  cp.  Brand's  Popular 
Antiquities,  III.  210,  211, 
and  especially  the  quotation 
from  Poole's  Parnassus,  1 657, 
"The  om'nous  raven  with  a 
dismal  chear,  Through  his 
hoarse  beak  of  following  hor- 
ror tells."  Peele, l  David  and 
Bethsabe,'  1599,  Chor.to  Sc. 
Ill,  also  refers  to  this  popular 
belief.  Shakspere  again  im- 
plies it  in  Oth.IV.  1. 2 1  and 
2Hen.6  III. 2.40.  ^40  EN- 
TERANCE  (the  Folio  prints 
"  entrance  ")  is  also  trisyllabic 
in  Per. II. 3-64  and  in  Faerie 
Queene  1.8.34;  it  is  often 
spelled  "enterance"  in  EL. 
prose.  In  e. N.E.  the  vowel 
sound  which  developed  out  of 
r  frequently  makes  a  distinct 
syllable,  cp.  "childeren  "  IV.  3. 
177,  "rememberance"  III. 2. 
30,  "prayers"    II.  2.  25;    we 


ACT  I 


SCENE  V 


39-55 


The  raven  himselfe  is  hoarse 
That  croakes  the  fatall  enterance  of  Duncan 
Under  my  battlements.    Come,  you  spirits 
That  tend  on  mortall   thoughts,  unsex  me 

here, 
And  fill  me,  from  the  crowne  to  th'  toe,  top- 
full 
Of  direst  crueltie!   make  thick  my  blood, 
Stop  up  th'  accesse  and  passage  to  remorse, 
That  no  compunctious  visitings  of  nature 
Shake  my  fell  purpose,  nor  keepe  peace  be- 

tweene 
Th'  effect  and  hit.      Come  to  my  woman's 

brests, 
And  take  my  milke  for  gall,  you  murth'ring 

ministers, 
Where-ever  in  your  sightlesse  substances 
You  wait  on  nature's  mischiefe !   Come,  thick 

night, 
And  pall  thee  in  the  dunnest  smoake  of  hell, 
That  my  keene  knife  see  not  the  wound  it 

makes, 
Nor  heaven  peepe  through  the  blanket  of 

the  darke, 
To  cry  'Hold,  hold!' 


still  have  "fire,"  "power, 
and  u  hour"  as  dissyllables  in 
MN.E.  <ff4I  The  lacking 
impulse  after  the  caesura  is 
supplied  by  the  pause  before 
COME.  SPIRITSisoften mon- 
osyllabic in  EL.  E.,  'sprites' 
(whence  MN.E.  'sprightly'), 
and  is  probably  so  here,  for  the  rhythm  is  smoother  if  v.  41  ends  in  a  rising  wave.  ^42 
MORTALL  THOUGHTS  is  not  'human  thinking'  but  'deadly  purposes';  cp.  note  to  1.3. 
139.  These  'devilish  spirits  of  murder'  Shakspere  refers  to  in  2Hen.6  IV. 7. 80.  ^43 
TOTH'TOE  is  "to  the  toe"  in  FO.  I  ;  but  the  printer  probably  neglected  to  mark  the 
elision,  cp.  1. 1.5  note.  The  whole  expression  is  idiomatic  in  EL.  E.,  cp.  "from  the  top  to 
the  toe,  a  capite  ad  calcem  usque11  Baret, '  Alvearie' ;  and  TOPFULL, 'brimful,'  is  likewise 
a  usual  word,  cp.  "Topfull  with  Faith"  Taylor,  Works,  Sp.  Soc,  II.  230.  SF 44  MAKE 
THICK  MY  BLOOD  :  cp.  "if  that  surly  spirit  melancholy  Had  bak'd  thy  bloud  and  made  it 
heavy  thicke,  Which  else  runnes  tickling  up  and  downe  the  veines"  John  III.  3.42;  see 
also  Wint.  T.  1. 2. 1 7 1  and  Ham.  1.5. 70.  4  45  ACCESSE  frequently  has  its  M.  E.  stress  "ac- 
cesse" in  e.N.E.,  cp.  e.g.  "get  swift  accesse"  Jonson,  'Sejanus'  II. 2.  REMORSE  does 
not  here  correspond  to  the  MN.E.  word,  but  connotes  the  idea  '  compassion ' ;  cp. "  We  know 
yourtendernesseof  heart,  And  gentle,  kinde,  effeminate  [i.e.  womanly]  remorse"  Rich.3IIL7. 
210,  and  "Not  doubting  but  to  finde  such  kinde  remorse  As  naturally  you  are  enclyned 

38 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

to"  'Faire  Em  Ml.  1. 132.  *ff  46  COMPUNCTIOUS  was  a  rare  word  in  Shakspere's  time, 
if,  indeed,  not  coined  by  Shakspere  himself.  NATURE,  'natural  feeling,'  'sympathy/  cp. 
"You,  brother  mine,  that  entertaine  ambition,  Expell'd  remorse  and  nature"  Temp.  V.I. 
75-  It  is  only  in  the  light  of  Shakspere's  psychology  in  1.3. 1 39  that  this  picture  of  Lady 
Macbeth's  mind  becomes  clear.  In  ^48  HIT  (the  M.E.  form  corresponding  to  MN.E. 
'it'  which  occasionally  appears  in  e. N.E.  as  here)  refers  to  "nature,"  and  TH'  EFFECT  is 
equivalent  to  MN.E.  'its  accomplishment,' cp.  N.E. D.  7,  and  "Could  have  attained  th'  effect 
of  your  owne  purpose"  Meas.  II.  1. 1 3.  Lady  Macbeth  deliberately  invokes  the  devils  of 
murder  to  forestall  the  "shaking"  of  her  fell  purpose  and  the  "hostilitie  and  civill  tumult" 
between  her  conscience  and  Duncan's  death — to  use  the  phraseology  of  John  IV.  2. 245  — 
by  blocking  up  all  avenues  to  pity  and  compassion.  *ff  47  NOR  KEEPE  PEACE,  therefore, 
is  tantamount  to  'and  make  war'  between  my  "thought"  and  the  "mortal  instruments" 
which  are  to  execute  it;  cp.the  notion  of  "single  peace"  in  the  passage  from  Ben  Jonson 
above,  and  "In  absence  of  her  knight  the  lady  noway  could  Keepe  trewce  between  her 
greefes  and  her,  though  nere  so  fayne  she  would  .  .  Yet  did  her  face  disclose  the  pas- 
sions of  her  hart"  Brooke's  Romeus  and  Juliet,  ed.  1562,  vv.  1 78 1  ff.  (quoted  in  part  by 
Malone),  where  we  have  again  the  'microcosmic'  psychology.  The  conscienceless  strength 
of  Lady  Macbeth  is  thus  luridly  contrasted  with  her  husband's  'infirmity  of  purpose' :  only 
one  'visiting  of  nature'  does  she  show  in  II. 2. 13,  "Had  he  not  resembled  My  father  as 
he  slept,  I  had  don  't,"  and  she  refers  to  this  with  an  implied  apology  for  a  momentary 
weakness.  The  fact  that  Lady  Macbeth  had  been  a  mother,  cp.  1.7.54,  adds  more  horror 
to  her  imprecation.  *1F  49  TAKE  is  explained  by  Schmidt  as  referring  to  malignant  su- 
pernatural influences,  as  in  "he  blasts  the  tree  and  takes  the  cattle"  Merry  W.  IV. 4. 32, 
and  in  "  No  faiery  takes  "  Ham.  1. 1 . 1 63  ;  but  the  syntax  does  not  permit  such  an  interpreta- 
tion ;  the  idiom  is  TAKE  FOR,  not  "take";  TAKE  FOR  in  the  sense  of  'turn  into'  is  not 
English  idiom  ;  'take  away  my  milk  and  put  gall  in  its  place'  is  a  far-fetched  use  of  "take" 
in  the  sense  of  'exchange.'  It  is  better  to  understand  the  word  in  its  usual  sense  of  're- 
ceive.' GALL,  'poison,'  'venom,'  cp.  "  Poyson  be  their  drinke  !  Gall,  worse  then  gall  the 
daintiest  that  they  taste"  2Hen.6  III. 2. 322.  In  EL.  psychology  the  gall  was  the  seat  of 
the  bitter  and  violent  passions  of  hatred  and  revenge,  cp.  N.E.D.  3.  So  Hamlet,  using 
the  concrete  for  the  abstract,  says  he  'lacks  gall  to  make  tyrannous  violence  bitter'  Ham. 
II. 2. 605.  Minsheus.  v.  'gall'  says  "it  is  the  humor  which  nourishes  wrath,"  and  this  seems 
to  be  Lady  Macbeth's  notion  here,  carrying  out  the  idea  in  v.  42,  "unsex  me  here,  and  fill 
me  .  .  topfull  of  direst  crueltie!"  MINISTERS  in  e.  N.  E.  usage  denoted  the  "in- 
struments of  darknesse  "  as  well  as  "  ministers  of  grace  "  ;  cp.  Titus  V.  2. 6 1 ,  where  Murder 
and  Rapine  are  spoken  of  as  "ministers,"  and  Rich.3  1.2.46,  "dreadfull  minister  of  hell." 
Burton,  '  Anat.  of  Mel.,'  1 62 1,  speaks  of  the  "devil  and  his  ministers."  The  clipped  form 
of  the  word,  "min'sters,"  is  probably  intended  here.  *ff  50  SIGHTLESSE  is  a  common  EL. 
synonym  of  'invisible';  it  is  used  again  in  1.7.23-  One  of  the  nine  kinds  of  bad  spirits 
mentioned  by  Burton,  I.ii.  1.2,  instigates  to  fury;  another  is  'those  vessels  of  anger  in- 
ventors of  all  mischief  (cp.v. 51).  'These  unclean  spirits  go  in  and  out  of  our  bodies 
as  bees  do  in  a  hive  and  so  provoke  and  tempt  us  as  they  perceive  our  temperature  [i.e. 
temperament]  inclined  of  itself  and  most  apt  to  be  deluded.'  They  are  'corporeal  and 
have  aerial  bodies' ;  'the  air  is  not  so  full  of  flies  in  summer  as  it  is  at  all  times  of  invisi- 
ble devils.'  These  devils  or  spirits  in  EL.  metaphysics,  taking  possession  of  the  body  and 
working  upon  its  '  humours,'  produced  all  those  forms  of  insanity  and  mental  disorder  which 
were  termed  melancholy.  Shakspere's  psychology,  while  it  is  not  a  bald  transcription 
of  it,  nevertheless  reflects  the  doctrine  in  a  general  way,  and  Macbeth's  soul  "blasted  with 
extasy"  and  Lady  Macbeth's  "mind  diseased"  are  each  conceived  in  the  terms  of  its  phi- 
losophy. They  are  both  'possessed  of  devils,'  Macbeth  through  his  allowing  the  witches 
to  help  on  his  ambition,  Lady  Macbeth  through  the  obsession  of  the  unclean  spirits  which 
she  invokes  to  her  aid.  The  one  passively  submits  to  the  supernatural  control,  the  other 
actively  invokes  it.     The  ruin  of  the  man's  cankered  soul  is  gradual,  opposed  always  by 

39 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

resisting  forces  of  his  character;  the  ruin  of  the  woman's  "mind  diseased"  swiftly  cul- 
minates in  insanity  and  self-destruction.  SF  52  PALL  THEE,  'cloak  thyself;  Shakspere 
seems  to  have  made  the  verb  from  the  noun,  cp.  Cooper,  "palliolatim,  clad  in  a  mantle, 
pall,  or  robe."  DUNNEST,  'murkiest,'  cp.  N.E.D.  and  Coles,  "obfuscus,  black,  dark, 
dun."  Peele  has  a  somewhat  similar  phrase  in  '  David  and  Bethsabe,  X.  II,  "O  would  my 
breath  were  made  the  smoke  of  hell ! "  *IF  53  Lady  Macbeth  here  intends  herself  to  com- 
mit the  murder ;  Macbeth  speaks  of  doing  it  in  1. 7. 1 6 ;  he  has  sworn  to  do  it  in  1.7.58; 
both  together  are  to  perform  it  in  1.7.69  j  in  II. 2. 13  Lady  Macbeth  tries  and  fails  ;  finally 
Macbeth  does  the  deed  in  II. 2. 15.  Thus  by  keeping  vague  the  outlines  of  the  act  does 
Shakspere  intensify  the  horror  of  its  circumstances.  *IF  54  Such  figures  as  BLANKET  OP 
THE  DARKE  were  common  in  EL. E.,  cp.  "Come  seeling  night,  Skarfe  up  the  tender  eye  of 
pittifull  day"  III. 2. 46.  A  similar  association  of  ideas  occurs  in  Drayton's  Barrons  Warres, 
III.  17. 18,  ed.  1605,  "The  sullen  night  hath  her  blacke  curtaines  spread,  Lowring  [i.e. 
scowling  because]  the  day  had  tarried  up  so  long,  Whose  faire  eyes  closing  softly  [in  MN.  E. 
sc.  'she']  steales  to  bed  when  all  the  heavens  with  duskie  clowdes  are  hung  .  .  The  glim- 
mering lights,  like  sentinels  in  warre,  Behind  the  clowdes  stand  craftily  to  pry  And  through 
false  loope-holes  looking  from  afarre  To  see  him  skirmish  with  his  desteny."  The  first 
verse  was  cited  by  Malone  in  its  earlier  form,ed.  1596,  "The  sullen  night  in  mistie  rugge 
[i.e.  blanket]  is  wrapp'd";  CI.  Pr.  also  adds  Drayton's  notion  of  night  as  "heaven's 
black  nightgowne."  The  homely  figure  was  taken  exception  to  by  Coleridge,  and  vari- 
ous foolish  emendations,  'blackness,'  'blankness,'  'blank-height,'  'blankest,'  etc.,  have 
been  proposed.  But  one  who  will  criticize  such  figures  in  Shakspere  shows  little  know- 
ledge of  Elizabethan  literature.  It  has  also  been  suggested  that  "blanket"  refers  to  the 
'curtain  of  a  theatre' with  'heaven 'in  its  EL.  sense  of  'roof  of  the  stage';  but  the  N.E.D. 
records  no  such  usage  of  the  word  'blanket.'  The  associative  interests  of  the  earlier 
passages,  "milk,"  "woman's 

breasts," suggest  motherhood        a^T    T  qpcmc    \r  cc      ri 

—cp.also  1.7.54  ff.-and  this       AU  [      [  bUbJN  b    V  55-61 

culminating  figure  brings  to 

the  mind  the  picture  of  1  ter-  ENTE*  MACBETH 

ror-stricken  child  peering  over  Great  Glamys  !    worthy  Cawdor  ! 

the  edge  of  his  blanket  into  the     Greater  then  both,  by  the  all-haile  hereafter! 

awrul  gloom  or  night.   Kobthe       rni        .  .  J  i  i  i 

context  of  these  associations      1  hy  letters  have  transported  me  beyond 
and  the  marvellous  power  of     This  ignorant  present,  and  I  feele  now 

the  thought  is  gone  from  it.       rrri        £  •      fi 

WehavemuchtothankShak-       The  future  m   the  instant. 

spere     scholarship     for,    but  MACBETH 

surely  its  cavilling  at  this  pas-  xn       j  .   i 

sage  is  little  to  its  credit.  %  dearest  love, 

Duncan  comes  here  to  nidht. 

SF58  IGNORANT  is  probably  ,,.rnRT„ 

used  here,  as  in  Wint.T.  1.2.  LADY  MACBETH 

397,  with  the  sense  of  'keep-  And  when  s*oes  hence? 

ing    one    in    ignorance'    (cp.  MACBETH 

N.E.D.  s.v.  3  b):    "If   you  _,  1 

know  ought.  .  imprison 't  not      1  °  morrow,  as  he  purposes. 

In    ignorant    concealement." 

The  rhythm  of  the  verse,  like  that  of  IV.  3. 28,  lacks  a  stressed  impulse  after  PRESENT,  if 
"ign'rant"  is  so  syncopated:  Pope  supplied  "time"  after  PRESENT  to  fill  the  measure, 
preferring  a  limping  verse  to  an  'incorrect'  one;  Lettsom  proposed  "e'en  now" — there  is 
some  ground  for  this,  cp.  1.4. 15,  IV.  1. 148,  IV. 3- 121,  V. 2. 10 ;  Abbott  reads  "fe-el,"  but 
while  the  development  of  an  extra  syllable  out  of  r  is  a  general  EL.  phenomenon  not  pecu- 

40 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


liar  to  prosody,  and  has  had  its  due  effect  on  MN.E.,  there  is  no  evidence  for  /  having 
thus  produced  an  extra  syllable  after  e  in  EL.  E.  The  verse  is  probably  correct  as  it  stands. 
IN  THE  INSTANT,  'on  the  instant,' is  an  EL.  phrase  meaning  'at  this  moment';  cp. 

N.  E.  D.  s.  v.  3  and  "  in  the  in- 


ACT  I 


SCENE  V 


LADY  MACBETH 


61-74 


O 


never, 


stant  came  The  fiery  Tibalt" 
Rom.&Jul.I.  I.II5-  SF60The 
rhythm  of  Lady  Macbeth's 
words,  "And  when  goes 
hence?"  aptly  reflects  the 
gravity  of  her  question. 

<1F63  Macbeth's  appalling 
realization  of  the  significance 
of  "O  never  shall  sun  that 
morrow  see" —  MORROWalso 
means  'morning'  in  EL. E. — 
is  reflected  in  Lady  Macbeth's 
words.  SF64  STRANGE,'un- 
usual';  cp.  "  Looke  like  the 
time"  v.  65.  MATTERS, 
'  subject  matter,'  cp.  "  I  read 
in  's  looks  Matter  against 
me"  Hen.8  1. 1.  I25,and"Was 
ever  booke  containing  such 
vile  matter  So fairely  bound  ?  " 
[i.e.  as  Romeo's  beauty] 
Rom.&Jul.  III.  2.  83-  BE- 
GUILE THE  TIME,  'deceive 
the  world' ;  EL.  E.  frequently 
uses  THE  TIME  in  the  sense 
of '  men  and  things  about  one,' 
'the  world,'  'the  times';  cp. 
"he  did  serve  the  time  cun- 
ningly, omnium  horarum  ho- 
minem  se  agebat"  Phr.  Gen. 
s.v.  'time.'  The  word  occurs 
again  in  this  sense  in  1. 7. 81, 
"Mock  the  time,"  and  in  IV. 
3.72,  "the  time  you  may  so 
hoodwinke."  The  editors  of 
FO.  I  seem  to  have  misunderstood  the  word  BEGUILE,  and  punctuate  with  comma  after 
MATTERS  and  period  after  TIME.  SF  65  THE  TIME  here  means  'the  moment,'  and  re- 
fers to  the  welcoming  of  Duncan,  cp.  "it  spoyles  the  pleasure  of  the  time,"  i.e.  the  feast, 
III. 4. 98.  Shakspere  is  fond  of  thus  varying  the  significance  of  a  word  by  its  context. 
<ff66  TH'  INNOCENT  places  stress  on  the  second  syllable  of  the  word;  but  "the  inn'cent," 
a  usual  EL.  contraction  (cp.  II.  2. 36),  makes  equally  good  rhythm.  The  sense  of  the  word 
seems  to  be  'innocuous,'  'harmless.'  The  earliest  quotation  in  N.E.  D.  5  for  this  meaning 
is  dated  1662,  but  in  Baret's  Alvearie  "innocent "  is  glossed  "innocuus"  and  "inno- 
cently," "  innoxie"  ;  so  likewise  in  Phr.  Gen.  SF  68  Lady  Macbeth's  PROVIDED  FOR  sug- 
gests a  grim  irony.  SF  69  DISPATCH  is  'management,' cp.  N.E.D.  5  b.  SF  72  SPEAKE, 
'confer,' cp."  Have  you  spoke"  All'sW.  V.3- 28.  CLEARE  is  an  adverb  meaning 'frankly,' 
cp.  N.E.D.  'clearly,'  7.  In  M.E.  and  O.E.  the  usual  adverb  suffix  was  -e :  when  this  was 
lost  in  late  M.E.  (1. M.E.)  and  e. N.E.  monosyllabic  adverbs  and  adjectives  became  iden- 

41 


Shall  sunne  that  morrow  see! 

Your  face,  my  thane,  is  as  a  booke  where  men 

May  reade  strange  matters.    To  beguile  the 

time, 
Looke  like  the  time;  beare  welcome  in  your 

eye, 
Your  hand,  your  tongue:   looke  like  thf  inno- 
cent flower, 
But  be  the  serpent  under  't.    He  that's  com- 

ming 
Must  be  provided  for:   and  you  shall  put 
This  night's  great  businesse  into  my  dispatch, 
Which  shall  to  all  our  nights  and  dayestocome 
Give  solely  soveraigne  sway  and  masterdome. 

MACBETH 
We  will  speake  further. 

LADY  MACBETH 

Onely  looke  up  cleare; 
To  alter  favor  ever  is  to  feare: 
Leave  all  the  rest  to  me. 

EXEUNT 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

tical  in  form.  «ff73  FAVOR  is  EL.E.  for  'face,'  'countenance/  cp.  N.  E.  D.  9  b.  TO 
FEARE  seems  to  mean  'to  give  cause  for  alarm/  cp.  N.E.D.  I  (though  not  illustrated  in 
this  intransitive  sense). 


SCENE   VI:    BEFORE    MACBETH'S   CASTLE 

HOBOYES  AND  TORCHES 

ENTER  KING  MALCOLME  DONALBAINE  BANQUO  LENOX 

MACDUFF  ROSSE  ANGUS  AND  ATTENDANTS 


mm 

I  —  10 

KING 

HIS  castle  hath  a  pleasant  seat; 

the  ay  re 
Nimbly  and  sweetly  recommends 

it  selfe 
Unto  our  gentle  sences. 

BANQUO 

This  guest  of  summer, 
The  temple-haunting  marlet,  does  approve 
By  his  lov'd  mansionry  that  th  'heaven's  breath 
Smells  wooingly  here:   no  jutty,  frieze, 
Buttrice,  nor  coigne  of  vantage,  but  this  bird 
Hath  made  his  pendant  bed  and  procreant 

cradle ; 
Where  they  most  breed  and  haunt,  I  have 

observ'd 
The  ayre  is  delicate. 

ENTER   LADY  MACBETH 


Duncan  arrives  in  the  even- 
ing,hencetheTORCHESofthe 
stage  direction,  cp.  I.  7.  25. 
HOBOYES  is  the  English 
spelling  of  'hautboy':  the 
word  was  used  in  EL.E.  for 
the  player  of  the  oboe  as  well 
as  for  the  instrument  itself. 
So  TORCH  in  EL.  scene  di- 
rections is  usually  the  '  bearer 
of  a  torch*  or  'link-boy.' 
*lr  I  SEAT, 'site';  cp.  Jonson, 
'Poetaster'  II.  I,  "You  are 
most  delicately  seated  here  . . 
an  excellent  ayre";  Burton, 
'  Anat.  of  Mel.'  I.ii.  2.  5,"  How 
can  they  be  excused  that  have 
a  delicious  seat,  a  pleasant  air 
and  all  that  nature  can  af- 
ford..?" AYRE  is  somewhat 
generally  used  in  EL.  E.  for 
'climate.'  In  FO.  I  THE  AYRE 
is  part  of  v.  2.  *ff  3  It  is  not 
necessary  to  suppose  that 
G  ENTLE  is  proleptically  used 

for  'our  senses  made  gentle  by  the  air/  as  it  is  usually  understood;  Duncan  merely  says 
that  his  senses,  gentled  and  tamed  by  age  (cp.  N.E.D.  8),  ill  endure  a  rough  climate. 
This  suggestion  of  the  peace  and  quietness  of  his  mind  is  tragically  contrasted  with 
1.5.40  ff.  It  is  well  borne  out,  too,  by  the  easy-flowing  rhythm  of  the  passage,  with  its 
freedom  from  reversals  and  its  lack  of  tensely  stressed  syllables.  The  notion  of  the  even- 
ing quiet  is  added  to  by  the  suggestion  of  the  swallows  which  flit  in  and  out  the  eaves, 
with  a  further  suggestion  of  the  holy  time  in  the  epithet  "temple-haunting."  It  is  the 
flitting  martin,  summer's  guest,  not  the  boding  raven,  that  welcomes  Duncan.  9f4 
MARLET— the  "Barlet"  of  FO.  I  is  obviously  a  misprint— is  an  EL.  form  of  'martlet' 
(O.  FR.  merlette),  cp.  Skinner,  "marlet  quasi  martlet";  it  is  used  for  'swift'  or  'swallow.' 
Minsheu  says  "they  are  called  Martlets  or  Martens,  because  they  come  unto  us  about 
the  end  of  March  and  goe  away  before  s.  Marten's  day,  that  is  about  the  twelfth  of  No- 
vember, by  reason  of  cold";  the  same  fanciful  etymology  is  found  in  Junius's  Etymo- 

42 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


logicon — and  repeated,  alas,  in  modern  dictionaries:  hence  Shakspere's  GUEST  OF 
SUMMER.  APPROVE  is  'prove,"  show,'  cp.  N.E.D.  I.  SF  5  LOV'D  is  an  instance  of  the 
suffix  -ed  (which,  like  the  past  participle  ending,  was  often  syncopated)  in  its  EL.  sense  of 
'full  of,' '  characterized  by/  and  the  word  is  an  adjective  and  corresponds  to  MN.  E.  'loving,' 
not '  loved.'  The  FO.  reads  "  mansonry,"  for  which  Pope  conjectured  "  masonry  "  and  Theo- 
bald MANSIONRY.  Either  word  makes  fitting  sense.  'Masonry'  in  EL.  E.  connotes  the 
art  of  putting  together  rubble  or  brick  with  plaster  as  well  as  that  of  hewing  and  placing 
stones;  cp.  Cooper,  "ccementarius,  a  dauber,  a  parzetter,  a  rough  mason":  in  Minsheu 
and  Skinner  mason  is  glossed  "ccementarius"  ;  so  also  in  Baret's  Alvearie.  The  work  of 
the  martin  could  therefore  be  called  "masonry" ;  cp.  "the  artificiall  [i.e.  skilful]  nest-com- 
posing swallow"  Robert  Chester's  Love's  Martyr,  1 60 1  (ed.  Grosart),  p.  122.  On  the  other 
hand,  mansionarium  in  Mediaeval  Latin  (cp.  Du  Cange  s.v.)  denotes  the  residence  of  a  canon 
in  a  cathedral:  and  the  O.FR.  and  M.E.  form  of  this  word  would  have  been  mansionrie ; 
though  the  word  is  not  found  in  O.FR.  Shakspere  may  have  known  it,  nevertheless,  and 
most  beautifully  used  it  here;  cp.  "temple-haunting":  /  and  fi  were  single  types  in  EL. 
typography,  and,  like  f  and  fi  or  /Y,  are  easily  confused  in  printing.  But  MANSIONRY 
may  simply  mean  'house-building.'  *ff 6  SMELLS  seems  in  EL. E.  to  have  meant 
'breathes  upon,'  cp.  Florio,  " oreggiare,  to  breathe,  to  blow  as  aire  or  winde,  to  sent,  or 
smell  pleasantly";  cp.,  too,  "The  ayre  breathes  upon  us  here  most  sweetly"  Temp.  II. 
1.46.  WOOING LY  :  in  EL.  present  participles  of  verbs  ending  in  a  long  vowel,  like  'doing,' 
'being,'  etc.,  the  suffix  is  frequently  taken  with  the  preceding  vowel  to  make  a  single  syl- 
lable. JUTTY:  cp.  Cotgrave, 

SCENE  VI 


ACT  I 


10-20 


KING 
See,  see,  our  honor'd  hostesse! 
The  love  that  followes  us  sometime  is  our 

trouble, 
Which  still  we  thanke  as  love.    Herein  I  teach 

you 
•  Howyou  shall  bid  God-eyld  us  for  your  paines, 
And  thanke  us  for  your  trouble. 

LADY  MACBETH 

All  our  service 
In  every  point  twice  done,  and  then  done 

double, 
Were    poore   and  single   businesse   to   con- 
tend 
Against  those  honors  deepe  and  broad  where- 
with 
Your  majestie  loades  our  house:   for  those 

of  old, 
And  the  late  dignities  heap'd  up  to  them, 
We  rest  your  ermites. 

43 


" soupendue  .  .  juttie,  or  part 
of  a  building  that  juttieth  be- 
yond or  leaneth  overthe  rest." 
*ff9  FO.  I  reads  "must"  for 
MOST  ("most"  is  a  M.E. 
form  of  "  must "),  with  comma 
after  CRADLE  and  colon  after 
HAUNT.  HAUNT,  'resort 
habitually,' cp. N.E.D. 7.  ¥  10 
DELICATE,  'pleasant,'  'de- 
lightful,' cp.  N.E.D.  I  a. 

<f  II  THAT  FOLLOWES  US, 
i.e.  is  the  concomitant  of  king- 
ship ;  cp.  "the  libertie  that 
followes  our  places"  Hen. 5 
V.  2.297.  SOMETIME  is  a 
common  EL.  E. form  of 'some- 
times.' SF  12  STILL,  'always.' 
AS,  'as  being,'  'because  it  is,' 
cp.  "as  his  host"  i.e.  in  that  I 
am  his  host,  I.  7.  14.  The  mo- 
mentary change  to  "  I "  gives 
Duncan's  words  a  personal 
turn.  TEACH  has  here  its  EL. 
sense  of  'teaching  by  exam- 
ple,'cp.  I.  7.  8.  <ff  13  SHALL 
BID  GOD-EYLD  US,  'shall 
pray  G  od  reward  us,'  with  BID 
in  its  e.  N.  E.  sense  of  'ask,' 
'pray,'    and    GOD-EYLD    an 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


EL.  phrase,  like  MN.E.  'good-bye/  composed  of  'God'  and  'yeld,'  i.e.  reward;  cp. 
N.E.D.  'God,' 8,  and  A.Y.L.  III.  3.  76.  <lr  16  SINGLE  in  EL.E.  often  means  'trivial,' 
'trifling,'  cp.  "He  utters  such  single  matter  in  so  infantly  a  voice"  Fletcher,  'Queen  of 
Corinth'  III.  I  (Cent.  Diet.),  and  Jonson,  'Every  Man  out  of  his  Humour'  II. 3'  "Mit. 
But  he  might  have  altered  the  shape  of  his  argument  and  explicated  'hem  better  in  single 
scenes.  Cor.  That  had  been  single  indeed."  BUSINESSE  has  probably  its  EL.  significa- 
tion of  'care,'  'attention,'  cp.  N.E.D.  6;  it  seems  to  be  the  notion  of  loving  attention  to 
Duncan's  comfort  that  Lady  Macbeth  has  in  mind.  SF  17  DEEPE,  'weighty,'  'important,' 
cp.  1.4.7  and  N.E.D.  7  b.  SF  18  MAJESTIE  is  prosodically  equivalent  to  a  dissyllable  here, 
as  it  is  in  III. 4. 2.  The  verse  division  of  FO.  I  is  Against  .  .  broad,  Wherewith  .  .  house, 
For  .  .  dignities,  Heap'd  .  .  ermites.  OP  OLD  is  an  EL.  phrase  meaning  'formerly';  cp. 
"even  for  that  our  love  of  old"  Caes.  V.5-27,  and  Phr.  Gen.,  "He  was  my  tutor  of 
old,  o/fm  mihi  pcedagogus  erat."  SF  19  TO, 'in  addition  to,' cp.  1.2.  10.  SF  20  REST, 
'  remain,'  cp.  I  Hen. 6  V.  5-95.  ERMITES  is  the  EL.  spelling  of '  hermits,'  and  the  word  is  here 
used  in  the  sense  of  'beadsmen,' N.E.D.  2  c.  Steevens  cites  a  similar  passage  from  'Arden  of 
Feversham'  III. 6. 120:  "  God  save  your  honour ;  I  am  your  bedesman  bound  to  pray  for  you." 
Lady  Macbeth's  compliment 

ACT  I  SCENE  VI  20-28 


has  reference  to  Duncan's 
'You  shall  pray  God's  bless- 
ing on  my  head,'  v.  13;  she 
replies,  'we  will  spend  our 
lives  praying  for  you.'  The 
difference  between  the  easy 
flow  of  Duncan's  words  and 
the  tortuous  rhythm  of  Lady 
Macbeth's  is  worth  noting. 

<ff2I  COURST,'chased,"pur- 
sued.'  AT  THE  HEELES, 
cp.  "follow  him  at  foote" 
Ham.  IV. 3.56.  SF22  TO  BE 
is  EL.  syntax  for  'of  being.' 
A  PURVEYOR—  "cater"isan 
EL.  synonym  of  the  word  — 
was,  according  to  Cowel's 
Law  Dictionary  (ed.  1684), 
"an  officer  of  the  King  or 
Queen,  or  other  great  per- 
sonage, that  providith  corn 
and  other  victual  for  their 
house."  Duncan  in  v.  24 
applies  it  to  the  preparation 
of  a  loving  reception  for  Mac- 
beth. The  word  is  stressed 
on  the  first  and  third  syllables, 
cp.  EL.  E.  'pursue,'  "In  all  their  drifts  and  councells  pursue  profit,"  Jonson,  '  Sejanus ' 
III. 2.  *ff  23  HOLP  is  the  M.E.  strong  form  of  the  verb  —  it  is  still  used  in  the  Au- 
thorized Version  —  which  the  weak  form  'helped'  had  not  yet  supplanted  in  e.N.E. 
Both  forms  occur  in  Shakspere,  cp.  Schmidt  s.v.  SF  24  For  TO  HIS  "to  's"  was  proba- 
bly intended  by  Shakspere.  In  the  Epilogue  to  Jonson's  Poetaster  we  have  "t'  him- 
self" ;  in  Drayton's  Barrons  Warres  11.46. 7,  "T'  an  open  smile  convert";  so  "t'  our" 
III.  28. 6  and  "unt'  her,"  Sidney,  'Arcadia,'  ed.  1590,  243  b.  SF  26  The  first  THEIRS  is 
EL.E.  for  'their  family  and  retinue';  cp.  "points  at  them  for  his"  IV.  1. 124,  and  "I   can- 

44 


KING 
Where's  the  Thane  of  Cawdor? 

We  courst  him  at  the  heeles,  and  had  a  pur- 
pose 

To  be  his  purveyor:   but  he  rides  well, 

And  his  great  love,  sharpe  as  his  spurre,  hath 
holp  him 

To  his  home  before  us.     Faire  and  noble 
hostesse, 

We  are  your  guest  to  night. 

LADY  MACBETH 

Your  servants  ever 
Have  theirs,  themselves,  and  what  is  theirs, 

in  compt, 
To  make  their  audit  at  your  highnesse  plea- 
sure, 
Still  to  returne  your  owne. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

not  perswade  myself  that  you  will  either  forget  or  neglect  this  point  concerning  the  insti- 
tution of  yours"  Florio's  Montaigne,  1.25  ;  the  second  THEIRS  has  its  MN.  sense  of 'their 
property.'  HAVE  .  .  IN  COMPT  (an  EL.  form  of  'account/  cp.  N.  E.  D.  s.v.)  seems  to 
mean  'to  hold  subject  to  account.'      SF  27    HIGHNESSE  is  an  instance  of  the  e.N.E.  inflec- 

tionless  genitive  as  in  1.4.6,23. 

ACT    I  SCENE    VI  28-31        *28    STILL  has  here  its  EL. 

ww*  ~^      j  x        sense  or  'always,    'in   order 

always  to  return  to  you  what 
KING  is  yours.' 

Give  me  your  hand; 

Conduct  me  to  mine  host:  we  lovehim  highly,  ^"^"o^relsproS 

And  shall  continue  our  graces  towards  him.  bly  intended  a  union  of  the 

By  your  leave,  hostesse.  \as{  s/llable  °f  continue 

J    J  (it  had  not  yet  become  iu,  but 

EXEUNT  was  still  u  in  EL.E.)  and  the 
first  syllable  of  OUR.  FO.  I 
has  a  comma  before 'our.'  SF  3 1  BYYOUR  LEAVE  in  Merry  W.  III.2.28and  Merch.  II. 4. 15 
is  a  ceremonious  expression  of  farewell :  but  here  it  seems  to  mean  '  Permit  me,  madam' 
and  to  refer  to  some  action,  like  his  kissing  Lady  Macbeth's  hand,  or  his  preceding  or 
following  her  through  the  door. 

INTRODUCTORY    NOTE   TO    SCENE    VII 

Macbeth's  welcome  of  Duncan  is  left  to  the  imagination.  The  banquet  with  which  he 
entertains  his  royal  guest  is  likewise  unrepresented.  Macbeth,  unable  longer  to  endure 
the  strain,  has  escaped  from  the  banqueting-room.  The  court  ringing  with  his  praises  has 
made  him  for  the  first  time  realize  what  the  court  really  is.  Not  only  the  king  must  be 
murdered,  but  the  suspicions  of  Rosse,  Donalbaine,  Macduff,  and  the  rest  must  be  allayed  ; 
Malcolm's  legitimate  claims  must  be  'o'erleaped' ;  Banquo's  hopes,  based  on  the  witches' 
prediction,  must  be  nipped  in  the  bud.  He  thus  sees  his  deed  stretch  away  in  its  long 
train  of  bloody  consequences  and  murderous  practice,  with  possibly  himself  the  victim  at 
the  last.  Then  the  thought  of  the  king's  gracious  meekness  —  the  pity  of  being  forced 
to  sacrifice  such  an  innocent  victim  on  the  altar  of  his  ambition  —  no,  it  cannot  be  done. 
Here  Lady  Macbeth  enters  to  prick  the  sides  of  his  intent  with  taunts  of  cowardice,  and 
threatens  him  with  the  loss  of  her  love  and  respect  on  account  of  his  unmanly  weakness 
and  faithless  vacillation.  As  each  taunt  goes  home  through  the  weak  spots  of  Macbeth's 
armour,  she  seizes  her  advantage.  Her  plot  comes  from  the  "Historic  of  Scotland"  (Bos- 
well-Stone,  p.27)  where  Holinshed  describes  the  murder  of  Duff  by  Donwald  and  his 
wife.  The  scene  is  a  wonderful  illustration  of  Shakspere's  dramatic  power:  its  words 
teem  with  interest ;  every  line  is  crowded  with  pictures,  association  succeeding  associa- 
tion in  rapid  panorama.  Some  of  them  are  startlingly  new  :  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  has 
been  ringing  with  Macbeth's  praises,  v.  32  ;  Macbeth  is  a  lover  as  well  as  a  husband,  v.  39  ; 
the  thought  of  a  violent  seizure  upon  the  crown  is  not  for  the  first  time  entering  Macbeth's 
mind,  v.  51  ;  Lady  Macbeth  has  known  the  joys  of  motherhood,  v.  54.  All  of  these  unite 
and  blend  like  varying  chords  in  music.  The  scene  opens  with  the  banquet  well  under  way  : 
music  in  the  outer  room,  servants  passing  formally  into  the  hall  with  a  new  course.  The 
SEWER  in  EL.  households  was  the  chief  butler,  cp.  "Clap  me  a  cleane  towell  about  you, 
like  a  sewer ;  and  bare-headed  march  afore  it  [i.e.  the  dinner]  with  good  confidence  "  Jonson, 
'Silent  Woman'  III.  3  (cited  in  part  by  Steevens),  and  "the  gentleman  sewer  that  goeth 
before  the  meat  to  his  lord  or  master's  table,  vide  maestre  sala"  Percivale's  Spanish 
Dictionary,  1623.     SERVICE  means  'a  course,'  cp.  Ham.  IV.3-25- 

45 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SCENE   VII:    THE   COURT   OF    MACBETH'S    CASTLE 

HOBOYES      TORCHES 

ENTER   A    SEWER   AND   DIVERS    SERVANTS   WITH    DISHES    AND 

SERVICE   OVER   THE    STAGE:    THEN    ENTER   MACBETH 


I-I2 
MACBETH 

F  it  were  done  when  't  is  done, 

then  't  wer  well 
It  were  done  quickly:  if  th'  assas- 
sination 
Could    trammell  up   the   conse- 
quence, and  catch 
With  his  surcease  successe ;  that  but  this  blow 
Might  be  the  be-all  and  the  end-all  heere, 
Butheere,upon  this  bankeandschoole  of  time, 
Wee  'Id  jumpe  the  life  to  come.    But  in  these 

cases 
We  still  have  judgement  heere,  that  we  but 

teach 
Bloody  instructions,  which  being  taught,  re- 

turne 
To  plague  th'  inventer.    This  even-handed 

justice 
Commends  th'  ingredience  of  our  poyson'd 

challice 
To  our  owne  lips.     Hee  ?s  heere  in  double 
trust : 


*ff  I  The  first  DONE  here,  as  in 
1. 1.3*  corresponds  to  MN.E. 
'over'  (cp.  N.  E.  D.  'do,'  8; 
but  in  this  instance  its  quota- 
tions are  not  sharply  discrimi- 
nated). InM.E.ande.N.E.the 
word  is  used  of  things  running 
a  course  as  well  as  of  things 
brought  about  by  a  definite 
agency.  The  second  DONE 
refers  to  the  accomplishment 
of  the  act  of  murder;  DONE 
in  v.  2  refers  to  the  execution 
of  the  act.  The  stress  "'t  is 
done"  seems  awkward  in 
MN.E.,  but  cp.  "must  do"  I. 
5.24.  *ff3  TRAMMELL  UP, 
'net  up' ;  cp.  Cotgrave,  utra- 
meau,  a  kind  of  drag-net  or 
draw-net  for  fish,"  "  tramail- 
ler,  to  weave,  bind,  fasten  or 
insnare  by  threfold  meshes," 
"trameller,  to  trammel  for 
larkes."  CONSEQUENCE, 
'sequel,'  'all  that  follows'; 
cp.  N.E.D.2  and  "My  mind 
misgives  Some  consequence 
.  .  shall  bitterly  begin  his 
fearefull  date  with  this  night's 
revels"  Rom.  &  Jul.  I.  4.  106. 
CATCH  carries  out  the  meta- 
phor of  a  net.  *ff  4  H I S  is  the  EL.  possessive  case  of  '  it,'  and  refers  to  "  consequence  "  ;  cp. 
the  quotation  from  Rom. &  Jul.  above.  SU  RCEASE, '  cessation,'  cp. "  no  pulse  Shall  keepe  his 
native  [i.e.  natural]  progresse,  but  surcease"  Rom.&Jul.  IV.  1. 96,  and  Baret,  '  Alvearie,' 
"to  surcease,  or  to  cease  from  doing  something,  supersedeo."  THAT,  as  in  1.3- 113,  re- 
peats the  connective  'if.'  BUT  THIS  BLOW,  'only  this  blow,'  'this  one  blow.'  SF5 
BE-ALL  and  END-ALL  are  instances  of  a  form  of  noun  composition  common  in  EL.  E., 
like  "mar-all,"  "spend-all,"  "do-all."  *ff6  BUT, 'only.'  The  BANKE  AND  SCHOOLE 
of  FO.  I  has  given  much  difficulty  to  editors,  some  of  whom  take  it  for  'bench  and  school' ; 
others,  following  Theobald, assuming  a  misprint  in  SCHOOLE  for  'shoal,'  read  'bank  and 
shoal' :  but  the  latter  assumption  is  unnecessary,  as  EL.  sh  is  sometimes  spelled  sch ;  we 
have  retained  one  of  those  scA-forms  in  'schedule' ;  in  Purchas, '  Pilgrimage,'  2d  ed.,  vol. 
v,  p.  109,  "shoole-master"  occurs,  illustrating  the  opposite  confusion.  The  e.N.E.  spell- 
ing of  school  (of  fishes)  is  "shole."     But  the  oo  (  =  u)  in  "schoole"  would  not  represent 

46 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


the  EL. E.  o  in  "shoal,"  whose  EL.  forms  are  "shole,"  "shoale,"  "shoul."  BANKE  can 
be  either 'bench' or 'shoal' ;  cp.  Cotgrave,  "banc,  a  bench,  banke,  forme,  seat  .  . ;  also  a 
long  shole,  shelfe,  or  sandie  hill  in  the  sea  against  which  the  waves  doe  break."  The  as- 
sociation of  'teaching'  that  follows,  "teach  Bloody  instructions,"  supports  the  literal 
reading,  and  "this  banke  and  schoole  of  time"  might  be  an  EL.  E.  hendiadys  for  'this  bench 
of  time's  school,'  a  notion  found  in  Lucr.  995  (cited  by  Nichols),  "Time  thou  art  tutor  both 
to  good  and  bad."  The  notion  of  time  as  the  shore  of  eternity  is  undoubtedly  poetic  and 
Shaksperian  withal;  and  BANKE  in  EL.  E.  also  means  'beach,'  cp.  Baret,  'Alvearie,' 
"the  banke,  properly  of  the  sea  and  sometimes  of  any  great  river,"  and  "I  was  the  other 
day  talking  on  the  sea-banke  with  certaine  Venetians"  Oth.IV.  1. 137.  For  the  whole  no- 
tion cp.  "The  tyde  of  pompe  That  beates  upon  the  high  shore  of  this  world"  Hen. 5  IV.  I. 
281,  and  "The  varrying  shore  o'th'world"  Ant.&Cl.  IV.  15. 1 1.  It  is,  and  always  will  be, 
impossible  definitely  to  decide  between  the  two  readings ;  the  reader  must  make  his  own 
choice.  *ff  7  J  U  M  PE, '  risk,' '  hazard ' ;  cp. "  you  must . .  jump  the  after-enquiry  on  your  owne 
perill"  Cym.  V. 4. 188,  and  "Our  fortune  lyes  Upon  this  jumpe"  Ant.&Cl.  I II. 8. 6,  and  "it 
putteth  the  patient  to  a  jumpe  or  great  hazzard"  (cited  from  Holland's  Pliny  in  N.E. D. 
6b).  *ff8  STILL, 'always.'  HAVE  JUDGEMENT,  i.e. 'receive  sentence,' cp.  "  He  con- 
fessed the  inditement  and  had  judgment  to  bee  hanged"  Halle, 'Chronicle'  244  b.  THAT 
has  here  its  common  EL.  meaning  of  'because,'  and  TEACH  connotes  'teaching  by  ex- 
ample' as  in  1. 6.12,  with  INSTRUCTION,  v.  9,  in  the  sense  of  'methods';  cp.  "The 
villanie  you  teach  me  I  will  execute,  and  it  shall  goe  hard  but  I  will  better  the  instruction" 

Merch.  III.  1.74  ff.    SF  10   IN- 


ACT  I 


SCENE  VII 


13-25 


VENTER,  'contriver,'  as  in 
"purposes  mistooke,  Falne  on 
the  inventors'  heads"  Ham. 
V.2.395.  *TF  1 1  COMMENDS, 
not  'recommends,'  but  'of- 
fers,' 'presents';  cp.  "to  her 
white  hand  see  thou  do  com- 
mend This  seal'd-up  coun- 
saile"  L.  L.  L.  III.  I.  169,  in 
N.E.D.Ia.  INGREDIENCEis 
an  EL. E.  spelling  of  'ingre- 
dients,' and  means  'mixture' 
N.E.D.  I  a. 

*ffl3  AS, 'because  I  am,' cp. 
1.6. 12;  Macbeth  was  Dun- 
can's cousin,  see  1. 2. 24.  *ff  1 7 
FACULTIES,  'authority,'  is 
an  EL.  E.  legal  term  glossed 
in  Cowel's  Law  Dictionary 
"a  priviledge, or  special  power 
granted  unto  a  man  by  favour, 
indulgence,  and  dispensation, 
to  do  that  which  by  the  com- 
mon-law he  cannot  do."  It  is 
here  applied  to  the  prerogative 
of  the  king,  who  is  supra  legem  and  habet  omnia  jura  in  manu  sua.  CI.  Pr.  cites  Hen.  8  1.2.73. 
MEEKE  is  an  instance  of  the  EL. adverb  without  the  -ly  suffix.  Sf  18  CLEERE,  'faultless,' 
N.E.D.  15;  cp.  "least  my  life  be  cropt  to  keep  you  clear"  Per.  1. 1. 141.  *ff  19  AGAINST, 
according  to  the  punctuation  of  FO.  I,  goes  with  trumpet-tongued  and  means  'in  view 
of.'      *ff  20    TAKING  OFF, 'death,'  cp.  III.  1. 105  and  "  His  speedy  taking  off "  Lear  V.  1.65 

47 


First,  as  I  am  bis  kinsman  and  his  subject, 
Strong  both  against  the  deed ;  then,asbishost, 
Who  should  against  his  murtherer  shut  the 

doore, 
Not  beare  the  knife  my  selfe.     Besides,  this 

Duncane 
Hath  borne  his  faculties  so  meeke,  hath  bin 
So  cleere  in  his  great  office,  that  his  vertues 
Will    pleade    like    angels,    trumpet-tongu'd 

against 
The  deepe  damnation  of  his  taking  off: 
And  pitty,  like  a  naked  new-borne-babe, 
Striding  the  blast, orheaven'scherubinhors'd 
Upon  the  sightlesse  curriors  of  the  ayre, 
Shall  blow  the  horrid  deed  in  every  eye, 
That  teares  shall  drowne  the  winde. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


(cited  by  Delius).  SF2I  A  similar  association  occurs  in  Ham.  III.  3.70  :  "heart  with  strings 
of  Steele,  Be  soft  as  sinewes  of  the  new-borne  babe."  In  the  three  passages  where  the 
murder  is  realized  by  the  imagination,  1. 5. 4 1  ff.,  here,  and  1.7.55  ff.,  its  horror  is  heightened 
by  association  with  the  innocence  of  childhood.  Such  associations  are  implied  also  in 
II. 2. 13  and  II. 2.  54.  SF  22  STRIDING,  'mounted  on';  cp.  "strideth,  straddleth"  Co- 
menius,  'Janua'944;  Coles,  "  divarico,  to  stride  or  straddle";  and  "  I  meane  to  stride 
your  steed"  Cor.I.9.7I.  CHERUBIN  seems  to  be  intended  for  a  plural ;  see  N.E.D.  s.u.for 
an  interesting  account  of  the 

ACT  I  SCENE  VII  25-30 


form  development  of  the  word 
*ff  23  SIGHTLESSE,  'invisi- 
ble,' as  in  1.5.50  q.v.  CUR- 
RIORS  is  the  EL.  spelling  of 
'couriers.'  SF  24  BLOW,etc, 
'proclaim  [N.E.D.  13]  the 
deed  in  the  sight  of  every  one ' ; 
cp.  N.  E.  D. '  eye '  4  c  and  Ham. 
IV.  4.  6.  <ff25  Cp.  "Where 
are  my  teares?  Raine  to  lay 
this  winde,  or  my  heart  will  be 
blowne  up  by  the  root ! " 
Tro.&Cr.  IV.4.55. 

*1F26  INTENT  is  a  stronger 
word  in  M.  E.  and  EL.  E.  than 
in  MN.E.,  cp.  "That  nys  no- 
thyng  the  entent  of  myn  la- 
bour" Chaucer,  'Legend  of 
Goode  Women'  Prol.  78, and 
"  He  thought  by  their  meanes 
the  soner  to  come  to  his  en- 
tent"  Berners,  '  Froissart '  I. 
cxl,  1 67  (cited  from  N.  E.  D.  6) 


I  have  no  spurre 
To  pricke  the  sides  of  my  intent,  but  onely 
Vaulting  ambition,  which  ore-leapes  it  selfe 
And  falles  on  thf  other — 

ENTER   LADY   MACBETH 

How  now?    What  newes? 

LADY  MACBETH 
He  has  almost  supt:   why  have  you  left  the 
chamber? 

MACBETH 
Hath  he  ask'd  for  me? 

LADY  MACBETH 

Know  you  not  he  has? 


SF  27,  28  The  meaning  here  has  been  the  subject  of  consid- 
erable controversy,  and  various  emendations  have  been  needlessly  proposed.  To  "ORE- 
LEAPE  oneselfe,"  like  "over-shoot  ones  selfe,"  "over-study  ones  selfe,"  is  an  idiomatic 
locution  in  EL.  E. ;  cp.  "  he  that  in  this  action  contrives  against  his  owne  nobility  in  his  proper 
streame  ore-flowes  himselfe  "  All'sW.  IV.  3-  28  ;  we  still  have '  over  reach  one's  self '  with '  over ' 
connoting  too  violent  action  for  the  end  in  view.  The  fact  that  the  anacoluthon  in  v.  28  is 
followed  by  a  period  in  FO.  I  is  not  very  significant,  for  the  printer  of  the  Folio  punctuates 
such  anacolutha  variously,  probably  because  he  did  not  always  understand  them  :  e.g.  in 
III.  1. 128  he  uses  a  double  hyphen,  in  IV.  1.69  a  period,  in  V. 3. 13  a  single  short  dash.  In 
Lear  1.4.356  we  have  in  FO.  I,  "If  she  sustaine  him, and  his  hundred  knights  When  I  have 
shew'd  th' unfitnesse.  Enter  Steward  How  now  Oswald?"  Such  expedients  as  "it 
selle"  [i.e.  its  saddle],  "it  sete"  for  IT  SELFE,  or  that  of  supplying  "side"  or  "one"  after 
OTHER  —  a  German  has  solved  the  problem  by  reading  "author"  for  OTHER  (the  pro- 
nunciation of  the  two  words  was  similar  in  EL.  E.),  and  an  English  editor  would  read 
"earth"  for  OTHER! — are  good  illustrations  of  the  torture  which  Shakspere's  text  has 
undergone  at  the  hands  of  modern  editors.  Macbeth's  sentence  would  probably  have  been 
completed  by  "side"  if  Lady  Macbeth  had  not  entered.  His  figure  is  taken  from  a  com- 
mon EL.  athletic  sport,  cp.  "a  vaulter  that  leapeth  up  and  downe  from  a  horse,  desultor" 
Baret,  'Alvearie';  Cooper,  "desultores,  horsemen  that  in  battaile  had  two  horses,  and 
quickly  would  change  horses,  and  leape  from  one  to  an  other,"  "  desultura,  vaulting  from 
one  horse  to  another."  It  is  possible  that  OTHER  means  the  other  horse.  Strutt, 
'Sports  and  Pastimes  of  the  People  of  England' ed.  1898,  p.  318,  writes:  "William  Stokes, 

48 


, 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


a  vaulting-master  of  the  seventeenth  century,  boasted,  in  a  publication  called  'The 
Vaulting  Master,'  &c,  printed  at  Oxford  in  1652,  that  he  had  reduced  '  vaulting  to  a  method.' 
In  his  book  are  several  plates  containing  different  specimens  of  his  practice,  which  con- 
sisted chiefly  in  leaping  over 

ACT  I  SCENE  VII 


one  or  more  horses,  or  upon 
them,  sometimes  seating  him- 
self in  the  saddle,  and  some- 
times standing  upon  the 
same."  SF  30  ASK'D  FOR 
(sentence  stress  on  FOR), 'in- 
quired about,'  'missed';  cp. 
"if  he  aske  for  me  I  am  ill  and 
gone  to  bed"  Lear  III. 3. 17. 

«1F32  BOUGHT,  'obtained,' 
cp.  "his  silver  hairs  will  pur- 
chase us  a  good  opinion,  And 
buy  mens  voyses  [i.e.  votes] 
to  commend  our  deeds"  Caes. 
II.  I.  144.  SF  33  SORTS, 
'classes,'  the  usual  EL.  E. 
meaning  ;  cp.  "  of  all  sorts  en- 
chantingly  beloved"  A.Y.L. 
1. 1. 174.  SF  34  The  auxiliaries 
"will"  and  "shall"  were  not 
sharply  distinguished  for  per- 
son as  in  MN.E.  literary  idi- 
om, and  WOULD  here  means 
'ought  to  be.'  SF35  Cp.  "O 
where  hath  our  intelligence 
bin  drunke?  Where  hath  it 
slept?"  John  IV. 2. 1 1 6  (cited 
by  Malone).  HOPE  in  EL.  E. 
means  'confidence,'  a  mean- 
ing still  retained  in  Bible 
English  ;  cp.  N.  E.  D.  2.  <1F  36 
Perhaps  enough  of  the  origi- 
nal meaning  of  DRESS  was 
preserved  in  Shakspere'stime 
to  warrant  our  supposing  that  Lady  Macbeth  had  in  mind  the  notion  of  'addressing  one's 
self  to  a  task'  as  well  as  'arraying  one's  self  ;  cp.  Phr.  Gen.,  "to  dress  one's  self  .  .  com- 
parare  se."  SF  37  G  REENE, '  sickly ' — a  sense  the  word  still  bears  in  MN.  E. —  and  PALE  are 
EL.  adverbs.  SF  38  DID  repeats  the  verb  " look  on,"  a  use  of  the  auxiliary  which  was  more 
common  in  EL.  E.  than  it  is  now.  Not  understanding  this,  one  Shakspere  editor  reads 
"eyed,"  assuming  that  the  word  was  first  corrupted  to  "dyed"  and  then  to  "did"  !  SF  39 
Lady  Macbeth's  SUCH  was  probably  accompanied  by  a  gesture  like  snapping  the  fingers. 
AFFEAR'D,  cp.  note  to  1. 3- 96.  SF40  Such  contrasts  as  this  were  common  in  EL.  litera- 
ture, cp.  e.g.  "Wise  in  conceit,  in  Act  a  very  sot"  Drayton,  'Idea'  860,  and  echo  the 
mediaeval  distinction  between  "life  active"  and  "life  contemplative."  *1F  42  ORNAMENT 
OF  LIFE,  i.e.  honour,  cp.  "Yet  know  I  not  whether  in  all  his  life  he  shewed  .  .  an  ornament 
[i.e.  honorable  act]  so  .  .  famous"  Florio's  Montaigne,  1, 23-  SF  45  The  proverb  referred  to  is 
common  in  e.  N.E.,  cp.  Heywood,  'Three  Hundred  Epigrammes,'  ed.  1562,  No.  258  (Sp. 
Soc.  reprint,  p.  1 66),"  The  cat  woulde  eate  fyshe  but  she  wyll  not  weate  her  feete,"and  Ray's 

49 


31-45 

MACBETH 
We  will  proceed  no  further  in  this  businesse: 
He  hath   honour'd  me  of  late,  and   I   have 

bought 
Golden  opinions  from  all  sorts  of  people, 
Which  would  be  worne  now  in  their  newest 

glosse, 
Not  cast  aside  so  soone. 

LADY  MACBETH 

Was  the  hope  drunke 
Wherein  you  drest  your  selfe?     Hath  it  slept 

since? 
And  wakes  it  now  to  looke  so  greene  and  pale 
At  what  it  did  so  freely?    From  this  time 
Such  I  account  thy  love.    Art  thou  affear'd 
To  be  the  same  in  thine  owne  act  and  valour 
As  thou  art  in  desire?    Would'st  thou  have 

that 
Which  thou  esteem'st  the  ornament  of  life, 
And  live  a  coward  in  thine  owne  esteeme? 
Letting  'I  dare  not'  wait  upon  'I  would/ 
Like  the  poore  cat  V  th'  addage? 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  I 


SCENE  VII 


45-59 


Proverbs,  p.  84,  "  Fain  would 
the  cat  fish  eat,  But  she 's  loth 
her  feet  to  wet." 

*ff47  For  DO,  Rowe's  correc- 
tion, FO.  I  reads  "no,"  which 
seems  to  be  a  misprint ;  n  was 
immediately  under  d  in  the 
EL.  type-case.  Lady  Mac- 
beth's  reply  shows  that  NONE 
isequivalent  to  '  not  one,'  with 
'one'  referring  to  'man';  cp. 
•"I  am  none  of  those  that 
thynke,"  etc.,  Florio's  Mon- 
taigne, I.  25  (Temple  reprint 
of  1 632  ed.,  p.  254),  and  "  Our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  regarded 
not  what  manner  of  ones  men 
are"  Golding's  Translation  of 
Calvin,  Galatians,  1574,  p. 
206.  Asimilarnotionisfound 
in  Meas.  II. 4. 135  (cited  by 
Steevens),  "  Be  that  you  are, 
That  is  a  woman ;  if  you  be 
more,  you  ?r  none."  BEAST 
frequently  in  EL.  E.  connotes 
the  notion '  not  man/  cp. "  Un- 
seemely  woman  in  a  seeming 
man,  And  ill  beseeming  beast 
in  seeming  both"  Rom.&Jul. 
III.  3-  H2  (see  ibid.  v.  Ill), 
and  "for,  the  philosopherssay, 
amongst  all  other  thinges  be- 
ware of  those  persons  thatfol- 
lowe  drunkennes,  for  they  be 
accompted  for  nomen  because 
they  live  a  life  bestiall "  Vicary, 
'Anatomie,'  1577,  E.E.T.  S., 
p.  15.  In  EL.  E.  the  word  connotes  the  stupidity  and  cowardice  of  a  beast  as  negatives  of 
manly  character  as  well  as  coarseness  and  vulgarity ',  see  quotations  in  N.  E.  D.  under 
'  beast*  5.  The  point  of  Lady  Macbeth's  taunt  here  is  its  implication  of  unmanly  cowardice. 
SF  48  BREAKE  is  EL.  E.  for  'disclose,'  cp.  "therefore  .  .  Katherine,  breake  thy  minde  to 
me  in  broken  English"  Hen. 5  V. 2.265.  SF  50  In  EL.  E.  the  infinitive  often  corresponds  to 
the  MN.E.  participial  phrase, e.g. " Thou  gainestfaire  to  lose  thyselfe"  Purchas, '  Pilgrimage' 
V, p. 27, and  "O  why  should  Fortune  make  thecitty  prowdTo  give  that  more  than  isthecourt 
allow'd"  Drayton,  'Heroical  Epistles'  p. 69-  Lady  Macbeth  says  'by  being  more  [i.e. 
stronger]  now  than  you  were  then,  you  would  be  so  much  more  the  man.'  In  attempting  to 
make  MN.E.  sense  out  of  the  passage,  editors  have  changed  BEAST  in  v. 47  to  "boast," 
Collier,  to  "baseness,"  Bailey,  and  THE  in  v.  51  to  "than,"  Hanmer.  SF52  ADHERE, 
'suit,' 'agree,' 'be  fitting,'  N.E.D.4.  Shakspere  uses  the  word  in  the  sense  of 'agree' in 
Merry  Wives  II.  1.62;  a  similar  notion  with  "cohere"  occurs  in  "Had  time  cohear'd  with 
place  or  place  with  wishing"  Meas.  II.  1. 1 1.  SF53  THAT  THEIR  FITNESSE, 'their  very 
fitness.'     SF  54    UNMAKE  :  Cooper  glosses  diffingo  by  "To  marre  :  to  unmake"  ;  Coles,  by 

50 


MACBETH 

Prythee  peace: 
I  dare  do  all  that  may  become  a  man, 
Who  dares  do  more  is  none. 

LADY    MACBETH 

What  beast  was  't  then 
That  made  you  breake  this  enterprize  to  me? 
When  you  durst  do  it,  then  you  were  a  man: 
And  to  be  more  then  whatyou  were, you  would 
Be  so  much  more  the  man.     Nor  time  nor 

place 
Did  then  adhere,  and  yet  you  would  make 

both: 
They  have  made  themselves,  and  that  their 

fitnesse  now 
Does  unmake  you.     I  have  gjiven  sucke,  and 

know 
How  tender  rt  is  to  love  the  babe  that  milkes 

me: 
I  would,  while  it  was  smyling  in  my  face, 
Have  pluckt  my  nipple  from  his  bonelesse 

c^ummes, 
And  dasht  the  braines  out,  had  I  so  sworne 
As  you  have  done  to  this. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


"unmake,  mar,  undo."  It  55  TENDER,  'exciting  to  commiseration,'  cp.  ''tender  objects," 
Tro.&Cr.  IV.5.I06.  SF  58  THE  BRAINES  corresponds  to  MN.E.  'its  brains';  cp.  note  on 
1.2.6.  SO  SWORN  E  TO:  "to  swear  to"  in  EL.  E.  is  'to  swear  to  do';  cp.  "you  swore  to 
that,"  i.e.  not  to  see  ladies,  L.  L.  L.  1. 1.53*  The  verse  has  an  extra  impulse  after  the 
pause.  It  has  been  urged  that  vv.  50-52,  58,  59  refer  to  a  scene  or  scenes  that  have  been 
cut  out  of  or  lost  from  the  play,  since  the  action  which  they  describe  is  too  important  to 
have  been  overlooked  by  Shakspere  ;  see' Jahrbuchderdeutschen  Shakespeare  Gesellschaft,' 
I.I45ff.  But  this  is  not  likely:  we  have  already  seen  that  in  1. 3*  1 30,  where  the  notion 
of  Duncan's  murder  is  first  presented,  it  is  not  in  the  light  of  a  new  and  unexpected 
temptation,  if  Shakspere's  words  are  clearly  understood  in  their  EL.  signification.  We 
have  seen,  too,  how  Shakspere  is  prone  to  represent  only  culminating  points  of  interest ; 
that  successions  of  time  and  place  are  not  connected  in  his  work,  sometimes  not  even 
logical :  e.g.  in  Ham.  1. 1 ,  at  the  beginning  of  an  apparently  continuous  dialogue,  it  is  twelve 
o'clock ;  thirty-nine  lines  later  it  is  one.  The  imagination  is  not  a  logical  faculty,  and 
often  in  Shakspere  successions  of  time  and  place  as  in  a  dream  blend  into  one  another 
to  make  complete  pictures  rather  than  successive  series.  Here,  therefore,  there  is  no 
real  inconsistency :  a  thought  is  simply  represented  in  a  new  light,  turning,  as  it  were,  a 
new  facet  for  us  to  look  upon.     Indeed,  to  have  represented  in  action  what  is  here  left  to 

the   imagination   would  have 


ACT  I 


SCENE  VII  59-72 

MACBETH 
If  we  should  faile? 


LADY  MACBETH 

We  faile? 
But  screw  your  courage  to  the  sticking  place, 
And  wee  ?le  not  fayle.      When    Duncan   is 

asleepe, 
Whereto   the    rather   shall   his 


layes 


hard 


journey 
Soundly  invite  him,  his  two  chamberlaines 
Will  I  with  wine  and  wassell  so  convince, 
That  memorie,  the  warder  of  the  braine, 
Shall  be  a  fume,  and  the  receit  of  reason 
A  lymbeck  onely:   when  in  swinish  sleepe 
Their  drenched  natures  lyes  as  in  a  death, 
What  cannot  you  and  I  performe  upon 
Th'  unguarded  Duncan ?    What  not  put  upon 
His  spungie  officers,  who  shall  bearethe  guilt 
Of  our  great  quell? 

phrases  which  in  EL.  E.  were 
evidently  regarded  as  interrogative — as  they  really  are — and  were  therefore  punctuated 
with  an  interrogation-point,  though  in  modern  printing  they  require  a  mark  of  exclamation. 
Both  the  query-mark  and  the  exclamation-point  were  originally  variations  of  the  semi- 

51 


interfered  with  the  dramatic 
interest  of  the  play  and  have 
marred  its  unity,  for  the  mur- 
der of  Duncan  is  its  starting- 
point,  not  its  end.  Shakspere 
magnifies  the  awful  horror  of 
the  deed  by  continually  shift- 
ing its  outlines,  else  it  would 
find  a  fixed  lodgement  in  our 
imaginations  and  become  a 
vulgar  crime.  We  are  never 
allowed  to  see  its  real  face :  it 
is  a  deed  of  darkness  which 
we  see  as  through  a  glass 
darkly. 

SF59  The  Folio  punctuation 
of  Lady  Macbeth's  answer  is 
a  question-mark,  which  mod- 
ern editors,  following  Rowe, 
alter  to  an  exclamation-point. 
The  printer  of  FO.  I  makes 
but  sparing  use  of  the  ex- 
clamation-point, setting  in  its 
stead  sometimes  an  interro- 
gation-point, sometimes  a 
period  or  colon.  Most  of  the 
former  cases,  however,  are  in 
such  phrases  as"  Hownow?" 
v.28or  "What  hoa?"  II. 2. 9, 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

colon  and  early  printers  do  not  sharply  distinguish  between  them.  Here,  however,  it 
is  better  to  retain  the  Folio  pointing,  for  WE  FAILB  seems  rather  to  be  a  surprised 
inquiry  at  the  notion  of  failure  than  'the  calm  deduction  of  a  mind  which,  having 
weighed  all  circumstances,  is  prepared,  without  loss  of  confidence  in  itself,  for  the  worst 
that  can  happen,'  as  Steevens  would  have  it.  It  is  not  the  effect  of  failure  on  her  own 
mind,  but  how  the  possibility  of  it  is  affecting  Macbeth,  that  Lady  Macbeth  is  con- 
cerned about,  and  in  her  assured  confidence  she  echoes  her  husband's  words  with  an 
ironical  rising  inflection :  she  will  not  contemplate  the  notion — the  thing  is  too  easy 
for  failure,  if  only  Macbeth  will  not  play  the  "poor  cat  in  th' addage  " — how  easy  she 
goes  on  to  show.  Moreover,  she  knows  that  they  dare  not  fail:  "th'  attempt  and  not 
the  deed  Confounds  us"  II.  2.  II.  It  is  better,  therefore,  to  take  the  words  as  they 
are  printed  in  FO.  I,  'Are  you  thinking  of  failure?'  with  heavy  secondary  stress  on  WE, 
"We  faile?"  SF60  BUT,  if  we  follow  the  punctuation  of  the  Folio  for  "We  faile?" 
is  probably  used  in  its  adverbial  sense  of  'only,'  and  not  as  an  adversative  conjunction; 
cp.  v.  6.  Steevens  thought  that  the  reference  in  this  verse  was  to  the  screwing  up  of 
a  stringed  instrument.  But  there  is  an  incongruity  of  association  between  the  tuning 
of  a  musical  instrument  and  Macbeth's  nerving  himself  to  his  task — an  incongruity 
that  Shakspere  would  have  avoided.  It  is  more  likely  that  Lady  Macbeth  is  thinking 
of  the  cross-bow  rack  or  gaffle,  a  small  detachable  winch  to  draw  the  string  of  the  bow 
to  its  STICKING  PLACE,  the  action  of  which  would  naturally  be  connoted  by  SCREW. 
There  seems  to  be  an  echo  of  this  in  Macbeth's  "bend  up"  in  v. 79.  Cp.,  too,  "As 
[i.e.  as  if]  he  had  seen 't  or  beene  an  instrument  To  vice  you  to  V  Wint.  T.  1. 2.41 5  and 
"Wrench  up  thy  power  to  th'  highest"  Cor.  1.8.  II  (cited  by  CI.  Pr.)  and  "I  partly  know 
the  instrument  That  screwes  me  from  my  true  place"  Tw.  N.  V.  1. 125  (cited  by  Steevens). 
The  rhythm  "And  wee  'le_n&t_f4y!e_L'  reflects  the  tensity  of  Lady  Macbeth's  purpose:  if 
"We  faile"  is  a  mere  declaration,  and  not  an  inquiry,  the  rhythm  is  difficult  to  catch, 
for  too  much  stress  thus  falls  upon  NOT.  SF 62  WHERETO,  'to  which';  M.E.  and 
EL.  E.  frequently  made  use  of  the  adverb  where  MN.E.  prefers  the  relative  phrase. 
RATHER  has  here  its  original  sense  of  'earlier,'  and  the  instrumental  article  THE  seems 
to  be  used  as  in  III.  1.26,  'earlier  than  usual.'  SF 63  SOUNDLY,  'heartily,'  cp.  "love  me 
soundly"  Hen. 5  V.  2. 105.  SF  64  WASSELL, 'carousing,' cp.  "Antony,  leave  thy  lascivious 
wassailes"  Ant.&Cl.  1.4.56.  CONVINCE, 'overpower,' cp.  N.E.D.  I  and  IV. 3- 1 42.  SF  65 
In  mediaeval  psychology  the  MEMORIE  had  its  "seat  and  organ"  in  "the  back  part  of  the 
brain,"  fantasy  or  imagination  in  the  middle  "cell,"  the  "Common  sense,"  i.e.  sensation, 
in  the  fore  part,  cp.  Burton,  'Anat.  of  Mel.'  Li. 2.7.  Vicary's  division  is  somewhat  dif-. 
ferent :  "Common  sense"  in  the  fore  part;  in  the  one  part  of  this  same  ventricle  is  the 
"vertue  that  is  called  Fantasie";  in  the  other  part  is  the  "Imaginative  vertue";  "in  the 
middest  sel"  the  "cogitative  or  estimative  vertue;  for  he  rehearseth,  sheweth,  declareth 
and  deemeth  those  things  that  be  offered  unto  him  [hence  Shakspere's  "receit  of  reason" 
v. 66]  by  the  other";  in  the  third  ventricle  "the  vertue  Memorative."  Comenius, 
'Janua'  343,  in  giving  the  same  psychology  adds,  "This  [i.e.  the  fore  part]  in  sleep  time 
is  stopped  up  by  moist  steams :  hence  cometh  insensibleness."  But  it  is  not  clear 
why  Shakspere  calls  memory  the  WARDER  OF  THE  BRAINE:  that  would  rather 
be  sensation — the  "five  wittes"  are  sometimes  spoken  of  in  mediaeval  literature  as  the 
"watchmen"  in  the  foremost  cell.  There  is  a  similar  difficulty  in  L.L.L.  IV. 2. 70,  where 
the  fancy  is  referred  to  as  "memorie,"  but  there  the  confusion  may  be  intentional:  it  is 
Holofernes  that  is  speaking.  The  quotation  from  Comenius,  too,  points  to  the  senses  as 
being  overpowered  by  the  "fume."  SF 66  FUMES  were  vapours  produced  in  the  body 
and  rising  to  the  brain :  we  still  speak  of  the  fumes  of  alcohol  mounting  to  one's  brain. 
Here  memory  itself  becomes  a  fume,  cp.  "The  charme  dessolves  apace  .  .  their  rising 
senses  Begin  to  chace  [i.e.  drive  away]  the  ignorant  [i.e.  blinding,  keeping  in  ignorance,  cp. 
note  to  1.5.58]  fumes  that  mantle  Their  clearer  reason"  Temp.  V.I.  64.  RECEIT, 'place 
of  receipt,'  'treasury,'  still  familiar  to  us  from  Matt.  IX.  9>  "the  receipt  of  custom"  ;  cp., 

52 


I 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


too,  "The  most  convenient  place  that  I  can  th'nke  of  For  such  receipt  of  learning  is 
Black- Fryers"  Hen.8  II. 2. 139-  ^  67  LYMBECK,  'an  alembic  or  still,' cp.  N.E.D.  'alem- 
bic': 'their  confused  brains  shall  collect  not  ideas  but  fumes.'  SF  68  DRENCHED, 'sub- 
merged,' 'drowned,'  cp.  N.E.D. 6  and  "till  you  have  drench'd  our  steeples"  Lear  III. 2. 3. 
NATURE  frequently  in  EL.E.  stands  for  'life,'  'vitality,'  cp.  II. 2. 7.  A  DEATH  does  not 
mean  'a  kind  of  death,'  but  is  an  instance  of  the  common  EL.  use  of  the  indefinite  article 
before  abstract  nouns  where  in  MN.E.  it  is  omitted;  cp.  "I  require  a  clearenesse" 
III.  I.  1 33?  "the  waight  of  present  miserie  pressing  him,  the  dread  of  a  death,  and 
a  death  attending  him"  Purchas,  'Pilgrimage'  V,  p. 33,  and  "but  with  a  crossebowe 
sent  a  death  to  the  poore  beast"  Sidney,  'Arcadia'  p. 40.  SF  70  PUT  UPON,  'accuse 
of,'  cp.  "put  on  him  what  forgeries  you  please"   Ham.  II.I.I9.      SF  72    QUELL,  'mur- 

der/_usually  a  verb  in  EL.  E. ; 

SCENE  VII 


ACT  I 


72-82 


MACBETH 
Bring  forth  men-children  onely; 
For  thy  undaunted  mettle  should  compose 
Nothing  but  males.    Will  it  not  be  receiv'd, 
When   we   have   mark'd   with   blood   those 

sleepie  two 
Of  his  owne  chamber,  and  us'd  their  very 

daggers, 
That  they  have  don't? 


cp.  Florio,  "mazzare,  to  kill, 
to  slay,  to  quell,"  and  "syth 
I  did  father  quell"  New- 
ton, 'Thebais'  (Sp.  Soc, 
p. 94);  in  Comenius,  'Janua' 
669,  "  manslayers"  is  glossed 
"manquellers,  assassinats." 
The  word  seems  to  be  slightly 
euphemistic,  like  Macbeth's 
"taking  off"  in  v. 20. 


SF72  Macbeth's  amazement 
at  his  wife's  courage  is  admir- 
ably reflected  in  the  rhythm, 
contrasting  as  it  does  with 
the  rapidly  moving  verses 
which  precede.  SF  73  UN- 
DAUNTED is  another  of  those 
EL.  adjectives  in  -ed,  'un- 
dauntable,'  'fearless.'  In 
Upon  his  death?  EL.E.  METTLE  and  "metal" 

had  not  yet  been  distinguished 
by  different  forms,  and  the 
word  still  retained  its  mean- 
ing of  '  material,'  '  constituent 
elements';  cp.  "  I  am  made 
of  that  selfe-same  mettle  as 
my  sister"  Lear-  1:1.71. 
SF74  RECEIV'D, 'believed'; 
cp.  "  It  is  reported  to  them 
for  my  humour  and  they  re- 
ceive it  so"  Ben  Jonson, 
'Silent  Woman' III.  I  ;  cp.,  too,  Meas.  1.3- 16.  With  a  touch  of  vulgar  criminality  Mac- 
beth begins  to  give  active  support  to  Lady  Macbeth's  plot.  *1F  77  OTHER  is  still  an 
adverb  in  EL.  E.,' otherwise.'  SF  78  AS,  rather 'when' than 'since.'  RORE  in  EL.  E.  was 
a  more  dignified  term  for  loud  weeping  and  sobbing  than  it  is  now  ;  cp.  "  Did  I  say  before, 
they  began  to  weep?  I  can  assure  you  when  she  had  done  they  roared  outright"  '  Patient 
Grissel,'  1 6 1 9,  Per.  Soc,  p.  31  ;  cp.  Oth.  V.  2.  1 98.  SF  79  SETTLED,  'determined';  cp. 
"No  he's  setled,  Not  to  come  off,  in  his  displeasure"  Hen.8  III. 2. 22.  The  verse  has  an 
extra  impulse  after  the  pause  unless  I  AM  is  to  be  read  "I  'm":  the  printer  of  FO.  I  does 
not  always  mark  contractions  with  an  apostrophe,  e.g.  IV.  2. 16,  IV.  3- 149-      SF80    The 

53 


LADY  MACBETH 

Who  dares  receive  it  other, 
As  we  shall  make  our  griefes  and  clamor  rore 
>on  his  death? 

MACBETH 

I  am  settled,  and  bend  up 
Each  corporall  agent  to  this  terrible  feat. 
Away,  and  mock  the  time  with  fairest  show; 
False  face  must  hide  what  the  false  heart 
doth  know. 

EXEUNT 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

CORPORALL  AGENTS  are,  of  course, 'the  "mortal  instruments/'  the  spirits  which  exe- 
cute the  will  of  the  ego.  ^81,  82  To  finish  a  scene  with  a  couplet,  as  here,  was  a  common 
practice  with  Elizabethan  dramatists,  cp.  e.g.  the  end  of  the  next  scene  and  of  II. 3,  II. 4, 
III. 2,  IV.3retc.  The  effect  of  such  verses,  after  the  freedom  of  Shakspere's  easy-flowing 
blank  verse,  is  unfortunately  mechanical ;  scholars,  therefore,  forgetting  the  taste  of  the 
time,  are  prone  to  consider  them  spurious.  The  action  closes  with  Macbeth  and  Lady 
Macbeth  returning  to  the  banqueting-room. 

The  first  act  has  presented  the  murder  of  Duncan  as  a  "thought,"  an  idea  assuming  the 
aspects  of  a  malicious  purpose.  In  the  prologue  scene  it  is  foreshadowed  as  a  malicious 
intention  of  the  powers  of  evil  brooding  over  and  controlling,  through  their  witch  instru- 
ments, the  action  which  is  to  follow.  Scene  II  prepares  for  its  lodgement  in  Macbeth's 
mind  by  creating  for  him  the  opportunity  of  power.  Scene  III  gives  the  idea  a  lodgement 
there  by  playing  on  the  ambitions  of  a  man  naturally  superstitious.  Scene  IV  furnishes 
the  opportunity  of  place  for  its  execution.  Scene  V  reveals  it  as  a  malicious  design 
already  in  the  mind  of  Lady  Macbeth,  but  now  ineradicably  fixed  there  by  her  invocation 
of  the  powers  of  evil.  Scene  VI  brings  together  the  two  "thoughts" — Lady  Macbeth's 
and  her  husband's  —  and  welds  them  into  one  consuming  ambition  that  will  devastate  the 
soul  of  each,  and  drive  them  both  to  madness. 

The  harmonious  unity  of  this  first  act  is  often  missed  because  the  modern  reader  is 
quite  unaware  of  the  seriousness  and  awful  reality  which  demoniacal  possession  assumed 
in  the  Elizabethan  mind.  To  get  the  full  significance  of  the  tragedy  one  must  remember 
that  the  reality  and  malignity  of  supernatural  influences  for  evil  was  doubted  by  few  in 
Shakspere's  time.  Even  Bacon,  despite  the  scientific  acuteness  of  his  mind,  has  this 
to  say  about  them  :  "  But  the  sober  and  grounded  enquiry  into  the  nature  of  angels  and 
spirits  which  may  arise  out  of  the  passages  of  Holy  Scriptures,  or  out  of  the  gradations 
[i.e.  processes]  of  Nature,  is  not  restrained  [i.e.  subject  to  restriction]  ;  so  that  of  de- 
generate and  revolted  spirits ;  the  conversing  with  them  or  the  employment  of  them  is 
prohibited:  much  more  any  veneration  toward  them.  [Macduff  in  V.8. 14  speaks  of 
Macbeth  as  having  continually  served  the  devil.]  But  the  contemplation  or  science  of 
their  nature,  their  power,  their  illusions,  either  by  scripture  or  reason,  is  a  part  of  spiri- 
tuall  wisdome  "  'Advancement  of  Learning,  The  Second  Booke'  (I633)>  p-  136. 

It  is  only  from  such  a  point  of  view  that  one  can  clearly  grasp  the  magnificent  unity 
of  Shakspere's  involution.  For  the  tragedy  lies  in  the  spiritual  significance  and  fatal 
consequence  of  Macbeth's  yielding  to  the  powers  of  evil,  not  in  the  action  itself.  And, 
like  Hamlet,  Macbeth  is  a  tragedy  of  character,  not  a  tragedy  of  events.  Its  evolution 
does  not  begin  until  Act  III.  Act  I,  therefore,  is  but  the  preparatory  stage,  despite  the 
fact  that  it  is  so  crowded  with  cumulating  detail,  and  its  theme  is  the  'thought'  of  Dun- 
can's murder,  the  moving  cause  of  Macbeth's  insanity.  Shakspere  has  embodied  this 
theme  in  Macbeth's  words  in  1.3- 139-142.  Act  II  will  have  for  its  theme  the  act  of 
murder  and  its  immediate  consequence. 


54 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


THE    SECOND    ACT 


SCENE    I:    INVERNESS:    THE   COURT   OF   MACBETH'S    CASTLE 
ENTER    BANQUO   AND    FLEANCE   WITH    A   TORCH    BEFORE    HIM 

1-9 
BANQUO 
OW  goes  the  night,  boy? 
FLEANCE.    Themooneis  downe;  I  have  not  heard 

the  clock. 
BANQUO.   And  she  goes  downe  at  twelve. 
FLEANCE.  I  take  rt,  ft  is  later,  sir. 

BANQUO.    Hold,  take   my   sword:    there  fs  hus- 
bandry in  heaven, 
Their  candles  are  all  out.    Take  thee  that  too. 


A  heavie  summons  lyes  like  lead  upon  me, 
And  yet  I  would  not  sleepe :  mercif  ull  powers, 
Restraine  in   me  the  cursed  thoughts  that 

nature 
Gives  way  to  in  repose. 


EXIT  FLEANCE 
As  usual,  there  is  no  place 
direction  in  FO.  I,  but  from 
what  follows  there  can  be  lit- 
tle doubt  that  Banquo  and 
Fleance  are  crossingthequad- 
rangle  or  inner  court  of  the 
castle  on  the  way  to  bed  ;  see 
the     introductory     note     to 


Scene  II.  The  stage  direction  of  modern  editions  reads  "bearing  a  torch,"  etc. ;  but  TORCH  in 
EL.  E.  frequently  means  '  link-boy,' '  torch-bearer/  cp.  introductory  note  to  1. 7.  SF  4  HOLD 
.  .  HEAVEN  is  two  verses  in  FO.  I,  the  first  ending  at  SWORD.  The  words  are  addressed  to 
Fleance.  That  Banquo  parts  with  his  sword  may  be  an  evidence  of  "confidence  in  the  in- 
tegrity of  his  host "  (CI.  Pr.),  or  merely  a  suggestion  to  the  audience  that  he  intends  to  retire 
for  the  night.  HUSBANDRY,  'careful  management/  N.  E.  D.  4  b  :  "  If  you  suspect  my  hus- 
bandry .  .  Call  me  before  th'exactest  auditors"  Timon  II. 2. 164.  It  is  one  of  those  homely 
associations  such  as  occurs  in  "blanket  of  the  dark"  1.5.54.  SF  5  THEIR  is  an  instance  of 
M.E.  and  EL.  E.  syntax  by  which  the  third  personal  pronoun  is  used  indefinitely  with  ref- 
erence to  an  antecedent  implied,  not  expressed.  THEE:  in  EL. E.  the  personal  pronoun 
is  frequently  used  to  denote  the  person  interested  in  the  action ;  cp.  "  Kalander  .  .  never 
having  heard  [EL.  E.  for 'heard  of ']  him  his  beloved  guestes"  Sidney,  'Arcadia' p.  324,  and 
"That  Blaunche  be  sent  me  home  again"  '  Faire  Em'  III. 5-46.  The  construction  is  fre- 
quent in  an  imperative  idiom  where,  according  to  MN.E.  notions  of  syntax,  the  reflexive 
pronoun  of  the  second  person  takes  the  place  of  a  subject ;  see  Schmidt  for  instances, 
"stay  thee,"  "hark  thee"  (cp.  dial,  "harkee"),  "run  thee,"  etc.,  and  Spies,  'zur  Geschichte 
der  englischen  Pronomens'  (Halle,  1897),  pp.  152  ff.  THAT  is  probably  a  reference  to  his 
dagger.  Fleance  goes  out  here,  leaving  his  father  to  walk  in  the  courtyard  for  a  while  before 
going  to  bed.  There  is  no  EXIT  FLEANCE  in  FO.  I  ;  but  that  Fleance  does  not  hear  the 
colloquy  between  Macbeth  and  his  father  is  evident  from  the  EXIT  BANQUO  after  v.  30, 

55 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

and  from  the  fact  that  Macbeth  would  hardly  be  so  rude  as  to  ignore  Fleance's  presence 
in  saying  "good  night."  It  is  more  likely  that  the  exit  has  been  omitted  here  than  that  the 
EXIT  BANQUO  after  v.  30  is  a  printer's  error  for  "  Exeunt  Banquo  and  Fleance"  ;  the  omis- 
sion is  rendered  still  more  probable  by  the  fact  that  v.  5  ends  the  page  in  FO.  I  :  thus  EXIT 
FLEANCE  would  have  come  in  the  lower  right-hand  corner,  and  to  the  proof-reader  would 
have  looked  like  a  mistaken  catchword.  In  Lear  1.4.362  (FO.  I,  p.  289)  an  "Exit  Oswald" 
has  obviously  been  lost  after  v.  362,  which  ends  the  page,  only  the  catchword  "and"  stand- 
ing in  the  corner.  SF  6  HEAVIE,  'overpowering,'  N.E.  D.  26;  cp.  "the  heavy  offer  of  it 
[i.e.  sleep]  "Temp.  II.  1. 194.  SF  7  WOULD  NOT, 'do  not  want  to.'  SF  9  GIVES  WAY  TO 
means  'gives  rein  to,'  not  'succumbs  to';  cp.  "gave  him  way,  In  all  his  owne  desires" 
Cor.  V. 6.32.  In  EL.  psychology  the  "Phantasie"  was  "evermore  stirring"  (Comenius, 
'  Janua'  343)-  That  Banquo's  fantasy  has  been  working  on  the  meeting  with  the  weird  sis- 
ters we  are  explicitly  told  in  v.  20 ;  that  these  fancies  are  not  unaccompanied  by  tempta- 
tion we  gather  from  the  word  "cursed,"  and  at  the  same  time  we  learn  that  Banquo  has 
put  the  temptation  behind  him.  Alone  with  his  son  in  Macbeth's  castle,  clearly  realizing 
on  what  a  slender  thread  the  life  of  the  king  hangs  J  knowing,  as  he  alone  does,  the  secret 
of  Macbeth's  ambition ;  having  noticed,  too,  in  all  probability,  Macbeth's  departure  from 
the  hall  and  his  return  with  Lady  Macbeth,  and  realizing  that  he  has  only  to  give  his  sup- 
port to  Macbeth's  interests  to  ensure  the  kingly  honour  for  his  son  —  amid  such  surround- 
ings there  is  little  wonder  that  he  should  be  anxious.  His  anxiety  is  reflected  in  the  dia- 
logue as  it  is  in  that  of  the  opening  scene  of  Hamlet — short,  tense  sentences  relating  to  the 
time  of  night.  The  reader,  in  thinking  of  Macbeth's  entrance,  must  remember  that  "  Enter" 
in  EL.  stage  directions  means 

merely  that  the  actor  noted        Af^TTT  QrCMR    I  a      t  7 

begins  his  part.    Macbethand       AU  [      U  dUttiNE,    1  )-U 

his  servant  are  supposed  to  be  „        „  „ 

unrecognizable  in  the  gloom       ENTE*  MACBETH  AND  A  SERVANT  WITH  A  TORCH 

until  quite  near  to  Banquo;      Give  me  my  sword :   who  Ts  there?  9>  10 

cp.  Ham.  1. 1. 14,  where  mod- 
ern editors  displace  the  "  En-  MACBETH 

ter  Horatio  and  Marcellus" :  A  friend.       n 

in  FO.  I  it  comes  before  Fran- 
cisco's "Who 's  there?"  BANQUO 

_      _,  ,  What,  sir,  not  yet  at  rest?  the  kind  's  a  bed. 

Sr  10  Banquo  hears  some  one       tt      1       1     1  •  111  1 

approaching,  and  in  his  ner-      He  hath  beene  in  unusuall  pleasure,  and 
vousness  calls  for  his  sword :      Sent  forth  £jreat  largesse  to  your  offices: 

either    Fleance    returns   mo-       Thi     diamQnd  he   ^reetes  wife  withall, 

mentanlyto  give  it  to  him  and  ©  J 

goes  to  bed  when  he  discovers      By  th?  name  of    most   kind   hostesse;    and 

that  the  stranger  is  their  host,  shut  UD 

or  Banquo's  words  are  merely       T  *     , 

a  realization  of  his  defenceless      ln  measurelesse  content. 

position.  SFI3  The  verse  di- 
vision of  FO.  I  is  He  .  .  pleasure,  And  .  .  offices,  This  .  .  withall,  By  .  .  hostesse,  And  .  . 
content.  PLEASURE,  cp.  "  I  am  full  of  pleasure"  Temp.  III. 2. 125.  SF 14  LARGESSE  is 
plural  in  EL.  E.,  like  "  richesse,"  and  means  '  gifts.'  OFFICES, '  the  apartments  of  domestics,' 
cp.  "empty  lodgings  and  unfurnish'd  walles,  unpeopel'd  offices,  untroden  stones"  Rich. 2 
1.2.68;  it  is  not  a  misprint  for  "officers,"  as  Malone  thought.  The  king  intends  to 
leave  on  the  morrow.  SF  15  WITHALL,  cp.  1.3-57  and  note.  SF  1 6  "By  the  name"  of 
FO.  I  is  probably  the  printer's  error  for  BY  TH'  NAME.  SHUT  UP  (FO.  2,  FO.  3,  FO.  4 
"shut  it  up")  used  intransitively  for  going  to  bed  has  not  yet  been  found  in  EL. E.  In 
Marston,  'Antonio  and  Mellida' V.  1. 150,  occurs  the  locution  "shut  up  night":  "I  was 

56 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

mighty  strong  in  thought  we  should  have  shut  up  night  with  an  old  comedy."  It  may 
be  that  in  EL.  E.  u  shut  up  "  with  a  similar  connotation  was  used  intransitively,  as  in  "  Actions 
begunne  in  glory  shut  up  in  shame"  (cited  by  Cent.  Diet,  from  Bishop  Hall's  Contem- 
plations II.  2,  published  in  1 6 1 2) :  the  change  in  tense  would  not  be  unusual  in  EL.  E.,  cp. 
note  to  1.2. 15-  But  it  is  quite  possible  that  AND  SHUT  UP,  etc.,  has  been  misplaced,  be- 
longing after  PLEASURE,  v.  1 3  ;  see  the  verse  division  of  the  Folio.  The  fact  that  the  two 
passages  begin  with  the  same  word  makes  this  likely.  Putting  it  in  as  an  independent 
verse  after  "pleasure,"  omitting  the  "and"  before  "sent  forth,"  or  making  it  exchange 
places  with  "and  .  .  offices,"  gives  us  excellent  sense.  SHUT  UP  IN  will  then  have  its 
EL.  meaning  of  'restricted  to' ;  cp.  "shut  us  up  in  wishes,"  i.e.  confine  us  to  expressions 
of  goodwill,  All's  W.  I.I.  197,  and  "So  shall  I  cloath  me  in  a  fore'd  content,  And  shut  my 

selfe  up  in  [i.e.  confine  myself 
jfT    TT  crcur;     t  1  n      n  a       to]  some  other  course  To  For- 

AC1      11  bCbNb     1  17-24       tune'salmes"Oth.  III.4. 120. 

Such  an  idea  sounds  like  Dun- 

MACBETH  can,cp.I.4.2I  ;  butwearenot 

Bein^  unprepar'd        warranted  in  makingthealter- 

O-ll   1  .1  i.      J    r      j.  ation  until  we  are  sure  that 

ur  will  became  the  servant  to  defect,  „shut  up„  in  EL>  E>  cannot 

Which  else  should  free  have  wrought.  mean  "retired  for  the  night." 

BANQUO  <ff  18  DEFECT  in  EL.  E.  means 

All  TS  Well.       'faultiness,'     cp.  N.  E.  D.  3. 

I  dreamt  last  nidht  of  the  three  weyward      ^  *****  !**■*!»,  con- 

0  J  notes    iaultlessly    as  well  as 

Sisters:  ' unrestrainedly,'  cp.  1.3. 155. 

To  you  -they  have  shew'd  some  truth.  wrought  is  the  preterite  of 

'work,' as  in  1. 3. 149>and  here 

MACBETH  means 'had  its   due  effect'; 

I   thinke  not  of  them:       cp.  "The  better  shall  my  pur- 

•v    .         1  1  pose    worke   on    him"    Oth. 

Yet,  when  we  can  entreat  an  houre  to  serve,  1.3.397.  <|F2i  shew'd  'dis- 

We  would  spend  it  in  some  words  upon  that  closed,'  'told,'  cp.  "Shew  me 

businesse,  ^  thought"  Oth.in.3.116. 

T  „                         '.                      .  nanquo    evidently    thinks   it 

II  you  would  graunt  the  time.  wise  for  him  to  be  the  first  to 

broach  the  subject  which  he 
knows  is  uppermost  in  Macbeth's  mind,  displaying  that  "wisdom  to  act  in  safety"  which 
Macbeth  remarks  on  in  III.  1.53.  This  terse  dialogue,  with  its  thrust  and  parry,  is  a  fine 
illustration  of  Shakspere's  power  to  depict  the  thought  behind  the  word.  EL.  E.  was  an 
admirable  tool  for  this  purpose.  The  language  was  then  gaining  much  of  its  modern  ac- 
curacy and  definiteness  of  connotation,  without  yet  having  lost  the  richness  of  the  M.E. 
vocabulary.  Its  virility,  too,  had  not  yet  been  impaired  by  a  literary  consciousness  begot 
of  grammars  and  dictionaries,  and  many  direct  and  forceful  idioms  which  are  now  become 
dialectic  or  vulgar  still  remained  in  good  literary  usage.  And  wide  as  was  Shakspere's 
range  of  expression,  we  must  not  forget  that  it  lay  within  the  limits  of  current  Elizabethan 
idiom.  Contemporary  critics,  though  they  did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  he  borrowed  his 
matter  and  padded  out  his  verse,  never  accused  him  of  unintelligibility.  I  THINKE  NOT 
OF  THEM,  'I  pay  no  heed  to  them,'  cp.  "not  a  thought  but  thinkes  on  dignitie"  2Hen.6 
III.  1.338.  The  word  occurs  with  the  same  meaning  in  III.  1. 132,  "alwayes  thought  That 
I  require  a  clearenesse,"  i.e.  always  bearing  in  mind,  etc. :  Macbeth  affects  indifference, 
as  in  1.3- 1 19-  SF  22  ENTREAT,  either  'induce,'  'get'  (N.E.D.  10  a)  with  'to  serve'  as 
complementing  infinitive,  or  used  in  the  sense  of  'passing  the  time,'  cp.  "  My  lord,  we  must 

57 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


intreat  the  time  alone"  Rom.&Jul.  IV.  1.40.  SF  23  WE  is  taken  by  CI.  Pr.  as  referringto  Mac- 
beth, who  adopts  "the  royal  we  by  anticipation."  But  such  an  explanation  is  awkward; 
"consent"  below  would  have  been  far  more  likely  to  occasion  such  a  usage.  In  view  of 
Macbeth's  affected  indifference  in  v.  21  and  of  his  evident  desire  to  entrap  Banquo  into 
compromising  overtures,  it  is  much  more  likely  that  WE  is  the  ordinary  plural,  and  WE 
WOULD  expresses  merely  futurity  as  the  apodosis  of  "  If  you  would  grant."  The  rhythm 
requires  the  contracted  form  "we'd";  it  is  probable  that  the  contraction  was  over- 
looked by  the  printer,  as  is  often  the  case  in  EL.  texts,  e.g.  "I  would  scratch  that  face" 
Drayton/ Heroical  Epistles,' 

ACT  II  SCENE  I 


24-30 


leysure. 


Sp.Soc.,p.27I.  BUSINESSE 
in  the  1 7th  century  means 
'topic,'  N.E. D.  17,  but  per- 
haps here  merely  'matter,'  as 
understood  by  N.E.D.  18. 

SF24  KIND'ST,  cp.  note 
on  1.5.2.  SF25  Macbeth's 
CLEAVE  TO  MY  CONSENT 
seems  to  be  equivocal,  cp. 
note  to  I.  3-155*  he  may 
mean  'if  you  should  concur 
with  my  opinion,'  cp.  N.  E.  D.  6 
and  "  By  my  consent  wee  'le 
even  let  them  alone"  I  Hen. 6 
1.2.44;  or  'if  you  will  join 
my  party,'  N.  E.  D.  7,  inviting 
Banquo  to  enter  into  con- 
spiracy with  him,  but  leaving 
himself  the  loophole  of  es- 
cape if  Banquo  refuses.  He 
intends  to  learn,  too,  whether 
Banquo'sinterest  inthematter 
is  philosophical  or  personal. 

Many  foolish  conjectures  have  been  proposed  for  CONSENT  in  order  to  make  the  phrase 
into  MN.E.  WHEN  'T  IS,  i.e.  when  the  time  comes;  the  line  division  of  the  Folio  is 
If  .  .  consent,  When  .  .  you.  SF  26  HONOR,  also,  is  a  purposely  vague  word.  It  may 
have,  if  the  words  are  jestingly  taken,  its  EL.  meaning  of  'reputation,'  'it  will  redound  to 
your  credit,'  cp.  "to  cause  honour  or  make  men  much  esteeme  and  reverence  one" 
Baret,  'Alvearie'  s.v. ;  or  it  may  have  its  meaning  of  'rank,'  'position,' as  in  1.6. 17, 
if  the  words  are  seriously  taken.  Banquo,  by  a  platitudinous  and  non-committal  answer, 
quite  evades  the  issue  that  Macbeth  has  raised.  NONE,  i.e.  honor,  integrity,  or  rank. 
SF  27  IT,  i.e.  reputation,  position.  STILL, 'always.'  ^  28  FRANCHIS'D  seems  here  to 
refer  to  moral  freedom,  but  in  N.E. D.I  b  no  instance  later  than  1483  is  given  for  the 
word  with  this  meaning.  Banquo  seems  to  be  thinking  of  the  word  in  association  with 
HONOR  in  its  feudal  sense,  'lordship,'  and  to  mean  to  say  that  if  he  is  to  have  honours 
they  must  be  honours  of  "free  tenure"  as  far  as  Macbeth  is  concerned.  He  carries  the 
notion  further  in  ALLEGEANCE  CLEARE;  cp.  Cowel,  1687,  s.v.  'ligeancy,'  "  Ligeancy  is 
such  a  duty  or  fealty  as  no  man  may  owe  to  more  than  one  Lord,  and  therefore  it  is 
most  commonly  used  for  that  duty  and  allegiance  which  every  good  subject  owes  to  his 
Liege  Lord  the  King"  :  he  cites  the' Grand  Customary  of  Normandy,' cap.  I3>  to  show  that 
the  duty  of  loyal  vassals  to  their  lord  is  "  ei  se  in  omnibus  innocuos  [cp.  Shakspere's  "  cleare  "] 
exhibere,  nee  ei  adversantium  partem  in  aliquo  confovere."  It  has  long  since  been  pointed 
out  that  Shakspere  was  not  ignorant  of  the  technical  forms  and  verbiage  of  English. 

58 


BANQUO 

At  your  kincTst 
MACBETH 
If  you  shall  cleave  to  my  consent,  when  't  is,. 
It  shall  make  honor  for  you. 
BANQUO 

So  I  lose  none 
In  seeking  to  augment  it,  but  still  keepe 
My  bosome  franchis'd  and  allegeance  cleare, 
I  shall  be  counsail'd. 

MACBETH 

Good  repose  the  while! 
BANQUO 
Thankes,  sir:   the  like  to  you! 

EXIT  BANQUO 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


law,  and  his  representation  of  Banquo's  thought  shows  marvellous  skill  in  implicating  a  par- 
ticular situation  in  general  legal  terms.  SF  29  TO  BE  COUNSAIL'D  is  an  EL.  phrase  mean- 
ing 'to  take  advice,'  cp.  upray  be  counsail'd,"  i.e.  take  my  advice,  Cor.  III. 2.28.     Banquo's 

words  show   a  wisdom,  not 


ACT  II 


SCENE  I 


31-43 


only  to  act  in  safety,  but  to 
speak  in  safety,  and  Macbeth 
is  little  wiser  than  he  was  at 
first :  he  knows  Banquo's 
"royalty  of  nature,"  but  he 
does  not  know  how  deep  Ban- 
quo's suspicions  are.  SF  30 
Modern  editors  here  read 
"  Exeunt  Banquo  and  Fle- 
ance,"  cp.  note  to  v.  5. 

^31  BID  isusedinitse.N.E. 
sense  of  '  ask.'  The  omission 
of  "that"  in  EL.  E.  where 
modern  idiom  requires  its 
presence  is  not  unusual ;  cp. 
1.6. 13  and  "Obedience  bids 
I  should  not  bidagen  "  Rich.  2 
I.  I.  163.  DRINKE,  a  night 
drink  or  posset,  like  that  re- 
ferred to  in  II.  2. 6.  That  it 
was  customary  to  take  them 
before  goingtobedisshownby 
Merry  W.  1. 4.  8  and  V.  5- 1 80. 
Cp.,  too,  "Andrew  Boorde 
[commends  as  a  remedy 
against  terrible  dreams]  a 
good  draught  of  strong  drink 
before  i  one  goes  to  bed" 
Burton, '  Anat.  of  Mel.'  II.  2. 5.  It  is  probable  that  Macbeth  intends  Banquo  to  hear  these 
words  as  he  leaves  him  for  the  night  in  order  to  give  him  the  impression  that  he  is  going 
at  once  to  bed,  as  well  as  to  afford  his  servant  a  natural  reason  for  leaving  him  alone. 
SF  36  FATALL  in  EL.E.  means  'prophetic,'  N.E.D.  4  b;  cp.  "fatall  bell-man"  II. 2. 3  and 
"fatall  raven"  Titus  II. 3. 97;  this  seems  to  be  its  meaning  here,  cp.  vv.42,43-  SENSI- 
BLE, 'perceptible,'  cp.  Cotgrave,  "perceptible, perceivable,  sensible,"  and  Florio,  "percet- 
tibile,  perceivable,  sensible."  SF  39  Macbeth's  explanation  of  the  phenomenon  is  similar 
to  that  in  Burton, '  Anat.  of  Mel.'  1.3-3:  'As  Lord  Mercutius  proves,  by  reason  of  inward 
vapours  and  humours  from  the  blood,  choler,  &c,  diversely  mixed,  they  apprehend  and  see 
outwardly,  as  they  suppose,  divers  images  which  indeed  are  not.  .  .  Corrupt  vapours,  mount- 
ing from  the  body  to  the  head  and  distilling  again  from  thence  to  the  eyes,'  are  the  causes 
of  these  visions.  It  is  the  Aristotelian  explanation  of  hallucinations,  "  Mira  vis  concitat 
humores,  ardorque  vehemens  mentem  exagitat"  (i.e.  a  strange  energy  stirs  up  the  humours 
and  oppressive  heat  excites  the  brain) :  Macbeth  echoes  the  mediaeval  phraseology. 
But  Shakspere  himself  all  through  the  tragedy  represents  Macbeth's  fits  as  being  due 
to  hallucinations  put  in  his  brain  by  "instruments  of  darkness,"  quite  the  view  Burton 
takes  in  '  I  may  not  deny  that  oftentime  the  devil  deludes  them,  takes  opportunity  to 
suggest  and  represent  vain  objects.  .  .  I  should  rather  hold  with  Avicenna  and  his  asso- 
ciates that  such  symptoms  proceed  from  evil  spirits  which  take  all  opportunities  of 
humours,  decayed  or  otherwise,  to  pervert  the  soul  of  man.'       Shakspere  never  states 

59 


MACBETH 
Goe  bid  thy  mistresse,  when  my  drinke  is 

ready, 
She  strike  upon  the  bell.    Get  thee  to  bed. 

EXIT   SERVANT 

Is  this  a  dagger  which  I  see  before  me, 
The  handle  toward  my  hand?  Come,  let  me 

clutch  thee: 
I  have  thee  not,  and  yet  I  see  thee  still. 
Art  thou  not,  fatall  vision,  sensible 
To  feeling  as  to  sight?  or  art  thou  but 
A  dagger  of  the  minde,  a  false  creation 
Proceeding  from  the  heat-oppressed  braine? 
I  see  thee  yet,  in  forme  as  palpable, 
As  this  which  now  I  draw. 
Thou  marshall'st  me  the  way  that   I   was 

And  such  an  instrument  I  was  to  use. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


this  explanation  explicitly  :  the  nearest  approach  to  it  is  in  V.  8.  I9ff. ;  but  the  educated  part  of 
Shakspere's  audience  no  doubt  saw  the  connection  between  Macbeth's  hallucinations  and 
his  traffic  with  the  witches.  SF  42  MARSHALL'ST, 'leadest,'cp. "  Reason  becomes  the  mar- 
shall  to  my  will"  Mids.  II. 2. 120.  SF43  TO  USE:  in  EL.  E.  the  substantive  verb  followed 
by  the  infinitive  was  often  employed  to  express  necessity;  cp.  "Minos  is  not  to  learne 
how,"  etc.,  Jonson,  'Poetaster'  II.  4,  and  "that  ancient  painter  .  .  being  to  represent  the 
griefe  of  the  by  standers  .  .  drew,"  etc.,  Florio's  Montaigne  1.2,  and  "I  am  to  breake  with 
thee  of  some  affaires"  Two  Gent.  III.  I.59«  Macbeth's  words  in  MN.  E.  suggest  that  he 
has  been  directed  to  use  a  dagger:  in  EL. E.  they  mean  that  he  is  obliged  to  use  one. 

<ff  44  ARE  MADE  THE  FOOLES  O',  'are  made  the  laughing-stock  of;  the  definite  ar- 
ticle is  omitted  in  the  corresponding  MN.E.  phrase.  SF  46  Hafts  of  weapons  were  fre- 
quently made  of  boxwood,  and  DUDGEON,  whose  earliest  English  meaning  is  'boxwood,' 
cp.  N.E.D.  I,  is  used  here  for  the  haft  itself.  From  Cotgrave's  " dague  a  roelles,  a  Scot- 
tish dagger,  or  dudgeon  haft  dagger,"  one  would  infer  that  the  word  in  Shakspere's  time 
had  special  reference  to  a  Scottish  weapon.  GOUTS, 'drops'  in  EL.  E. ;  but  from  a  mis- 
understanding of  this  passage  the  word  has  taken  on  the  meaning  of 'splotches' in  MN.E., 
see  N.E.D.  5-  The  verb  "are"  is  often  omitted  in  EL.  E.  SF  47  SO  is  more  widely  used  in 
EL. E.  than  in  MN.E.  to  represent  a  preceding  sentence;  cp.  "Where  was  she  born?  In 
Argier.  O,  was  she  so?"  Temp. 1. 2. 259-  SF 48  THE,  probably 'my.'  BUSINESSE,  either 
'task,'  N.E.D.II,  or  'purpose,'  N.E.D.IO.  INFORMES,  'takes  visible  shape,'  N.E.D.2. 
*ff 49  HALFE-WORLD,  'hemisphere';  cp.  Comenius,  32,  "the  half-ball,"  and  Cotgrave, 
s.v.  horison,  "half-sphere."  The  stress  halfe-world  seems  unusual  to  modern  ears;  but 
Jonson's  "the  sun  as  loth  to  part  from  this  halfe-spheare"  '  Entertainments,'  ed.  1640,  p.  85, 
shows  that  it  was  normal  in  EL. E.  Cp.,  also,  MN.  E.  "man-kind"  with  EL.  E." man-kind." 
"Sweet-heart,"  "life-blood,"  "like-wise,"  "fore-father"  occur  in  the  verse  of  good  EL. 
writers.  SF  50  ABUSE,  'deceive,' a  common  EL.  meaning  of  the  word;  cp.  "Abuses  me 
to  damne  me"  Ham.  II. 2. 632.  SF5I  The  fact  that  there  is  lacking  to  the  verse  an  un- 
stressed impulse  before  the  pause  has  exposed  it  to  various  emendations  which  supply 
such  a  word  as  "now"  before  WITCHCRAFT,  or  turn  SLEEPE  to  'sleeper.'  See  note 
to  1. 1.7.  To  CELEBRATE  is 'to  perform  with  ritual,'  N. E.D.I.  SF  52  HECCAT:  the 
word  is  not  evidence  of  Shak- 
spere's ignorance  of  the  clas- 
sics, but  merely  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  varying  forms 
which  classical  proper  names 
assumed  in  EL.  E. ;  some- 
times they  were  M.E.  ver- 
sions of  O.  FR.  words,  some- 
times these  were  altered  to 
be  more  in  accord  with  their 
Latin  originals,  and  some- 
times they  entirely  gave  place 
to  the  Latin  originals.  We  find 
Ixion,  Pactolus,  Cinthea  in  a 
poetic  miscellany  of  the  time 
of  James  I  ;  Atrides  rhyming 
with  "brides"  in  John  Hey- 
wood's  Marriage  Triumph ; 
Delphes  in  North's  Plutarch  ; 
Helenie  for  Helen  in  Robin- 
son's Handefull  of  Pleasant 
Delites.        Hecate    was    the 


ACT  II 


SCENE  I 


44-52 


Mine  eyes  are  made  the  fooles  o'  th'  other 

sences, 
Or  else  worth  all  the  rest:    I  see  thee  still; 
And  on  thy  blade  and  dudgeon  gouts  of  blood, 
Which  was  not  so  before.    There  ?s  no  such 

thing: 
It  is  the  bloody  businesse,  which  informes 
Thus  to  mine  eyes.    Now  o're  the  one  halfe- 
world 
Nature  seemes  dead,  and  wicked  dreames 

abuse 
The  curtain'd  sleepe:    witchcraft  celebrates 
Pale  Heccat's  off  rings;  and  withered  murther, 

60 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  II 


SCENE  I 


53-64 


Alarum'd  by  his  centinell,  the  wolfe, 
Whose    howle  fs   his  watch,   thus   with   his 

stealthy  pace, 
With  Tarquin's  ravishing  slides,  towards  his 

designe 
Moves  like  a  ghost.    Thou  sowre  and  firme- 

set  earth 
Heare  not  my  steps,  which  way  they  walke, 

for  feare 

very  stones  prate  of  my  where-about, 
And  take  the  present  horror  from  the  time, 
Which  now  sutes  with  it.    Whiles  I  threat, 

he  lives: 
Words  to  the  heat  of  deedes  too  cold  breath 


patron  goddess  of  classic  and 
medieval  witchcraft ;  cp.  Jon- 
son's  note  to  "three-formed- 
star"  in  '  Masque  of  Queenes,' 
p.  1 68,  "  Hecat :  .  .  She  was 
beleev'd  to  governe  in  witch- 
craft and  is  remembered  in 
all  their  [cp.  note  to  II.  1.5] 
invocations."  WITHER'D, 
'  colorless,'  'ghastly,'  cp. 
"These  eyes  .  .  shall  see  thee 
withered,  bloody,  pale,  and 
dead"  lHen.6  IV. 2. 38. 


A    BELL    RINGS 


I  goe,  and  it  is  done:    the  bell  invites  me. 
Heare  it  not,  Duncan,  for  it  is  a  knell 
That  summons  thee  to  heaven  or  to  hell. 


SF53    ALARUM'D, 'aroused,' 

Thy  very  stones  prate  of  my  where-about,        CP-     "my     best     alarum'd 

spirits"  Lear  II.  1.55.  CEN- 
TINELL is  an  illustration  of 
a  common  M.  E.  and  e.  N.  E. 
use  of  initial  c  before  a  palatal 
vowel  to  represent  the  sound 
of  s;  MN.E.  'city,'  'cele- 
[ives.  brate,'  'century,'  etc.,  are  in- 

stances where  it  has  been 
preserved.  SF  54  WATCH 
seems  in  EL.  E.  to  have  been 
applied  to  any  instrument  for 
telling  time.  In  Phr.  Gen. 
"  a  watch  or  clock  "  is  glossed 
horarium  ;  this  is  followed  by 
EXIT  "pocket  watch";  cp.  "A 
woman  that  is  like  a  Ger- 
mane clocke  .  .  beinga  watch  But  beingwatcht  that  it  may  still  goe  right"  L.L.L.  III.  1. 194. 
In  "Give  me  a  watch"  Rich. 3  V. 3.63,  the  word  appears  from  the  context  to  mean  a 
'watch-candle.'  To  speak  of  the  wolf-howls  as  murder's  watch  is  not,  therefore,  an 
inapposite  figure  in  EL.E.  A  similar  association  of  ideas  occurs  in  2Hen. 6  IV.  1.2  :  "And 
now  loud  houling  wolves  arouse  the  jades  That  dragge  the  tragicke  melancholy  night."  But 
it  is  possible  that  EL.  WATCH  meant  'watchword,'  cp.  "an  alarum,  alarm,  or  watchword 
shewing  the  nearnesse  of  theenemies"  Phr.  Gen. ;  if  this  were  the  case,  the  passage  would 
echo  the  phraseology  of  Lucr.  365  ff.  SF55  SLIDES  :  the  "sides"  of  FO.  I  seems  to  be  a 
misprint :  Pope  suggested  '  strides,'  which  has  been  followed  by  the  Cambridge  text  and  is 
supported  by  "stalkes"  in  Lucr.  365.  But  'slides'  involves  only  one  confusion,  that  of 
the  tall  /  and //,  which  were  single  types:  cp.  note  to  1.6.5.  The  word  in  EL.  E.  con- 
noted an  even,  gliding  movement  and  was  applied  to  the  creeping  of  a  serpent  or  to  the 
approach  of  a  thief;  cp.  Cooper,  'Thesaurus,'  "  lapsus  serpentum,  the  sliding,  gliding,  or 
creeping  of  a  serpent,"  and  Cotgrave,  "griller:  .  .  to  glide,  slip,  slide,  steal";  "glisser: 
to  slip;  to  slide  or  glide";  " glissade:  gliding,  sliding";  "glisse:  slipped;  slid;  crept,  or 
stollen  along."  This  would  make  the  passage  echo  the  phraseology  of  Lucr.  305,  where 
Tarquin  is  a  'creeping  thief,'  or  of  v. 362,  where  he  is  a  'lurking  serpent.'  The  word  is 
used  as  a  noun,  though  in  a  different  sense,  in  Bacon,  who  speaks  of  the  "slide  and  easi- 
ness" of  Homer's  verses,  cp.  Cent.  Diet.,  'slide,'  n.3-  RAVISHING  was  syncopated  in 
EL.E.  to  "rav'shing"  (cp.  M.E.  "parisshe"  and  "parshe");  the  use  of  the  word  as  an 
adjective  meaning  'relating  to  ravishment'  has  been  found  fault  with:  some  editors  put  a 

61 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


said 
s  her 


comma  after  it,  making  the  word  a  substantive ;  others  assume  a  misprint  for  "  Ravishing 
Tarquin  V  ;  it  has  even  been  proposed  to  read  "with  Tarquin's  ravishing  ideas"!  In 
M.E.  the  word  seems  to  have  had  the  meaning  of 'rapid/ 'swift' :  Chaucer  translates 
Boethius's  rapido  turbine  by  "ravysshynge  sweighe,"  see  '  Globe'  Chaucer,  p.  360.  This 
meaning  may  have  been  preserved  in  EL.  E.  Cotgrave,  who  usually  points  off  different 
senses  of  the  same  word  by  a  semicolon,  has  " ravissant,  ravishing,  ravenous,  violent, 
greedy,  swift."  Skinner,  1 67 1,  gives  among  his  obsolete  words  "Ravish"  in  the  sense  of 
'take,'  'carry,'  and  notes  "ejusdem  familiae  est  Ravishing,  quod  exp.  a  swift  sway,"  evi- 
dently having  in  mind  Chaucer's  phraseology.  But  in  the  lack  of  better  evidence  we 
hardly  dare  take  the  word  in  the  sense  of  'sweeping,'  though  enough  of  this  meaning  may 
have  clung  to  it  in  Shakspere's  time  to  make  the  epithet  a  natural  one.  SF  56  SOWRE 
of  FO.  I  is  usually  taken  for  a  misprint  for  "sure"  :  but  if  the  word  be  misprinted,  it  is 
much  more  likely  that  Shakspere  wrote  "sowrd,"  'deaf.'  d  was  next  to  e  in  the  EL. 
type-case,  and  "sowrd"  would  not  be  an  abnormal  EL.E.  spelling;  cp.  Coles's  Diet.,  1713, 
"sourd,  deaf,"  and  '  Glossographia,'  1707,  "surdity,  deafness,  dulness";  the  same  gloss 
is  found  in  Phillipps,  'New  World  of  Words,'  1678,  and  in  Kersey's  Diet.,  1708.  In  EL.E. 
the  word  seems  to  have  been  associated  with  dullness,  stupidity;  cp.  "a  surd  and  earless 
generation  of  men,  stupid  unto  all  instruction,"  Sir  Thos.  Browne  (1605-1682),  'Chris- 
tian Martyr'  III. 6  (cited  from  Cent.  Diet.).  Shakspere  elsewhere  applies  the  epithets 
"dull"  and  "sullen"  to  the  earth,  and  insensibility  to  sound  and  motion  seems  to  be  the 
association  in  Macbeth's  mind :  'hear  not  and  prate  not  with  your  echoes.'  But  EL.E. 
"sowre"  has  a  somewhat  wider  range  of  association  than  the  MN.E.  word;  cp.  Cotgrave, 
" rebarbatif,  grim,  stern,  sowre,"  and  "saturnien,  rude,  harsh,  unpleasant,  rough,  sowre"  ; 
"sowre  earth"  therefore  is  not  such  an  artificial  locution  for  'sullen  earth'  as  to  make  it 
quite  improbable  that  the  Folio  represents  the  word  Shakspere  wrote.  SF57  HEARE  in 
EL.E.  means  'listen  to,'  cp.  "I  stood  and  heard  them"  II. 2.24.  WAY  THEY  is  "they 
may"  in  FO.  I,  clearly  a  misprint,  first  corrected  by  Pope.  SF58  As  WHERE-ABOUT 
and  "whereabouts"  were  common  EL.  forms  of  the  adverb  (see  1.5.6),  "whereabout"  as 
a  substantive  was  no  more  unusual  to  EL.  ears  than  "whereabouts"  is  to  ours.  SF  59 
PRESENT,  'attendant,'  cp.  note  to  I.  3- 137.  SF  60  WHILES, 'whilst,'  cp.  1.5.6.  SF6I 
Macbeth's  thought  seems  to  be  like  that  in  IV.  1. 146,  with  TO  THE  HEAT  construed  as 
indirect  object,  BREATH  taken  as  meaning  'breathing-space,'  'respite,'  N.E.D.8,  and 
COLD  as  meaning  'dispiriting,'  N.E.D.9.  A  similar  form  of  expression  occurs  in  "the 
great  breath  that  was  given  the  states  in  the  heat  of  their  affairs,"  cited  from  Temple,  1673, 
in  N.E. D.  s.v.  'breath.'  For  the  singular  verb  with  plural  subject,  see  note  to  1.3- 147. 
SF62  THE  BELL  is  probably  Lady  Macbeth's  summons,  cp.  v. 32;  some  have  taken  it 
as  a  reference  to  the  clock  striking  the  hour  of  two.  The  scene  would  have  been  stronger 
if  it  had  ended,  as  does  Scene  V  of  Act  I,  with  the  short  verse  after  the  couplet :  the  con- 
trasts, too,  in  INVITE  and  SUMMON  and  TO  HEAVEN  OR  TO  HELL  do  not  sound  like 
Shakspere.  The  thought  is  similar  to  that  of  I  Hen. 6  IV.  2. 39:  "Harke,  harke,  the  Dol- 
phin's drumme,  a  warning  bell,  Sings  heavy  musicke  to  thy  timorous  soule,  And  mine 
shall  ring  thy  dire  departure  out." 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  II 

Davenant  arranges  the  action  of  this  scene  as  continuous  with  that  of  Scene  I.  Some 
modern  editors  also  expunge  the  scene  division.  But  the  action  marks  a  separate  stage  in 
the  drama,  and  demands  an  interval  for  the  imagination  to  grasp  the  horror  of  the  impending 
calamity,  though  the  actual  time  interval  between  the  scenes  is  slight.  In  III.4:-62  Lady 
Macbeth  evidently  refers  to  this  scene  in  "This  is  the  ayre-drawne-dagger  which  you  "' 
Led  you  to  Duncan."     It  is  likely  that  Macbeth  tells  her  of  his  vision  when  he  joins 


62 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

at  the  end  of  the  last  scene.  In  V.  1.35  ff.  Lady  Macbeth  fixes  the  time  of  the  murder  at 
two,  counting  off  the  strokes  of  the  bell :  "  One  :  two  :  why  then  't  is  time  to  doo  't."  There 
is  thus  a  brief  time  interval  between  the  two  scenes:  what  is  more  likely,  then,  than  that 
this  is  spent  in  perfecting  the  last  details  of  the  tragedy  as  the  two  sit  over  their  possets 
in  the  hall?  The  place  is  usually  given  as  the  same  as  that  of  the  previous  scene,  viz.  "a 
courtyard."  But  the  courtyard  is  so  dark  that  Banquo  does  not  recognize  Macbeth  in 
II.  1. 10  :  how,  then,  can  Macbeth  say  "This  is  a  sorry  sight"  in  II. 2.21  ?  If  we  recall  for  - 
a  moment  the  castle  architecture  with  which  Shakspere  was  familiar, — for  instance,  that 
of  Kenilworth,  —  we  have  a  large  courtyard  with  a  flight  of  steps  in  one  corner  leading  up 
to  the  sleeping-rooms,  such  as  is  shown  in  the  cut  of  Kenilworth  in  1620  which  is  prefixed 
to  the  New  Shaks.  Soc.'s  ed.  of  Robert  Laneham's  Letter.  It  is  in  this  courtyard  that 
Scene  I  takes  place.  In  these  quadrangular  houses  the  hall  occupied  one  side  of  the  build- 
ing, and  out  of  this,  at  one  end,  a  flight  of  steps  led  to  a  lobby  which  opened  on  the  guest- 
chamber:  see  the  rooms  lettered  E  and  V  in  the  cut  referred  to  above.  In  the  theatre 
this  lobby  would,  of  course,  be  the  usual  gallery  or  balcony  at  the  back  of  the  stage. 
Duncan  and  his  two  grooms  of  the  chamber  would  naturally  be  lodged  in  the  guest- 
chamber;  back  of  this  would  be  the  "second  chamber,"  occupied  by  Donalbaine  and  an- 
other. Such  an  arrangement  would  be  familiar  to  an  EL.  audience,  and  explains  clearly  the 
action  of  the  scene.  At  its  opening  Lady  Macbeth  is  in  the  hall  below,  waiting  for  her 
husband's  return.  She  has  been  in  Duncan's  chamber  to  see  that  all  is  ready,  and  has 
laid  the  daggers  of  the  two  grooms  where  Macbeth  "could  not  misse  'em."  The  grooms 
are  fast  asleep :  the  doors  are  open,  and  she  can  distinctly  hear  their  drunken  snoring. 
The  servants  have  retired  to  their  quarters,  and  there  is  still  late  carousing  through  the 
castle:  hence  the  noises  that  startle  the  murderers,  and  Macbeth's  imagined  "voice" 
crying  "Sleep  no  more!"  In  v.  66  the  guilty  pair  retire  to  their  chamber  to  wash  their 
hands  and  put  on  their  night  garments,  so  that  it  will  look  as  if  they  had  gone  to  bed. 


SCENE  II:  THE  HALL  OF  MACBETH'S  CASTLE 
ENTER  LADY  MACBETH 


1-8 


LADY   MACBETH 
HAT    which    hath    made    them 

drunk  hath  made  me  bold: 
What  hath  quench'd  them,  hath 
given  me  fire.  Hearke !  peace ! 
It  was  the  owle  that    shriek'd, 
the  fatall  bell-man, 
Which  gives  the  stern'st  good-night.     He  is 

about  it, 
The  doores  are  open,  and  the  surfeted  groomes 
Doe  mock  their  charge  with  snores:  I  have 

drugg'd  their  possets 
That  death   and  nature  doe  contend  about 

them, 
Whether  they  live  or  dye. 


sn^/ 


63 


*1r  I  Thesecondarystresseson 
THEMandMEgivetherhythm 
tenseness.  <lr2  QUENCH'D 
has  a  double  sense,  'allayed 
their  thirst'  and  'smothered 
their  vital  energy.'  A  similar 
play  of  meaning  occurs  in  'A 
bottle  of  ale  to  quench  me, 
rascal,  I  am  all  fire'  Jonson, 
'Bartholomew  Fair' II.  I.  For 
the  other  meaning,  cp.  "  Dost 
thou  thinke  in  time  she  will 
not  quench?"  Cym.  I.  5.47. 
SF3  FATALL, 'death-boding,' 
cp.  II.  1.36.  BELL-MAN,  cp. 
"a  bellman  which  goeth  be- 
fore a  corps,  praeco  feralis  " 
Phr.  Gen.  *ff4  For  form  of 
STERN'ST  see  note  to  1.5-3. 


\~J< 


:) 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  II 


SCENE  II 


9-14 


The  word  is  used  in  its  sense 
of 'gloomy," grim.'  SF  5  SUR- 
FETED:  probably  a  dissylla- 
ble here;  cp.  "with  forfeited 
credits  make  'em  wish  a 
change"  Massinger, '  Believe 
as  you  List'  I.I  (Per.  Soc, 
p.  22),  and  u  Macro,  most  wel- 
come as  most  coveted  friend" 
Jonson, '  Sejanus' V.  6.  SF7 
NATURE,  i.e.  life,  cp.  note  to 
1.7.68. 

*ff9  The  stage  direction 
"Enter  Macbeth"  is  usually 
removed  by  modern  editors 
to  a  place  before  MY  HUS- 
BAND. Macbeth  comes  into 
the  lobby — the  gallery  above 
the  stage  —  on  his  way  down 
into  the  hall,  but  hears  a  noise 
in  the  second  chamber,  cp.  v.  19,  and  softly  calling  WHO  'S  THERE?  goes  back  to  see  if 
any  one  has  awakened.  The  house  is  full  of  noises,  young  courtiers  carousing  in  their 
rooms  and  drunken  servants  in  the  "offices,"  and  Macbeth's  nerves  are  strung  to  the 
point  of  breaking.  Lady  Macbeth,  too,  has  heard  the  noise  and  fears  their  plans  have 
miscarried.  IF  1 1  They  are  prepared  to  explain  the  4act'  of  the  murder,  but  to  be 
caught  in  the  ATTEMPT  will  ruin  them.  Baret,  'Alvearie'  s.v.  'to  attempt,'  gives  "to 
assayle  a  man";  Shakspere  was  probably  thinking  of  the  attempt  on  the  king's  life 
in  its  legal  aspect.  <IF  1 3  'EM  is  now  a  colloquial  clipping  of  the  pronoun  'them':  in 
Shakspere's  time  it  was  a  common  literary  idiom,  frequent  in  Ben  Jonson  and  the  most 
careful  writers.  The  contraction  is  not  necessary  to  the  rhythm  here,  but  is  found  in 
FO.  I.  The  representative  interest  in  v.  13  is  something  more  than  "very  artful,"  as 
Warburton  called  it :  it  is  a 


ENTER  MACBETH 
MACBETH 
Who  's  there?  what  hoa? 

LADY    MACBETH 
Alack!    I  am  afraid  they  have  awak'd 
And  't  is  not  done:  thr  attempt,  and  not  the 

deed, 
Confounds  us.   Hearke!  I  lay'd  their  daggers 

ready, 
He  could  not  misse  'em.     Had  he  not  re- 
sembled 
My  father  as  he  slept,  I  had  don  't. 


startlingly  human  "touch  of 
nature,"  one  of  those  associa- 
tions of  childhood  that  flash 
into  consciousness  in  a  crisis 
like  this.  The  stress  seems 
to  fall  upon  the  pronoun  I, 
the  unstressed  impulse  being 
omitted,  cp.  1. 1.7.  The  verse 
is  independent  and  not  com- 
pleted by  the  words  "My 
husband"  below,  as  editors 
generally  print  it. 

Sri  4  If  we  take  the  punctua- 
tion of  the  Folio,  MY  HUS- 
BAND? is  an  exclamation  of 
inquiry  as  Lady  Macbeth 
hears  the  sound  of  approach- 
ing footsteps.  She  does  not 
know  but  that  some  one  may 


ACT  II  SCENE  II  14-17 

My  husband? 

MACBETH 
I  have  done  the  deed.    Didst  thou  not  heare 
a  noyse? 

LADY    MACBETH 
I  heard  the  owle  schreame  and  the  crickets 

cry. 
Did  not  you  speake? 

MACBETH 
When? 
LADY    MACBETH 

Now. 

64 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


have  awakened  and  be  coming  into  the  hall.  The  modern  punctuation  takes  the  words 
as  an  exclamation  of  admiration— her  woman's  recognition  that  Macbeth  is  worthy  of  her 
love  :  a  tempting  explanation.  But  we  have  just  had  one  exhibition  of  sentiment  in  Lady 
Macbeth:  is  it  likely  that  Shakspere  would  add  another?  If  "My  husband?"  is  spoken 
before  Macbeth  comes  down,  and  we  take  I  HAVE  DONE  THE  DEED,  i.e. '  It  's  over  now,' 
cp.  I.  7.  I  ff.,  as  muttered  by  Macbeth  to  himself  as  he  descends  and  indistinctly  heard 
by  Lady  Macbeth,  we  have  an  easy  explanation  of  her  "Did  not  you  speake?"  He 
does  not  need  to  tell  her  that  he  has  done  the  deed:  the  bloody  daggers  and  the  omi- 
nous stillness  above  speak  for  themselves.  *lr  17  DID  NOT  YOU  SPEAKE?  (the  phrase 
is  in  its  normal  EL.  E.  word  order,  the  parent  of  our  colloquial  "Did  n't  you  speak?"): 
some  editors,  not  understanding  the  action  of  the  scene,  alter  the  text  so  as  to  give 

this  speech  to  Macbeth,  and 


ACT  II 


SCENE  II 


17-26 


19 


WHEN?  as  well  as  NOW?  to 
Lady  Macbeth,  pointing  DE- 
SCENDEDwithaperiod.  But 
if  we  may  take  such  liberties 
with  Shakspere,  we  might  as 
well  rewrite  the  play  to  suit 
our  own  notions,  as  Davenant 
did,  and  have  done  with  it. 
Lady  Macbeth  is  evidently 
referring  to  something  that 
she  heard  Macbeth  say  as  he 
came  into  the  hall. 

IF  17  The  sharp,  broken  dia- 
logue makes  a  panting  rhythm 
admirably  adapted  to  the 
thought :  in  FO.  I  each  part  of 
thedialogue  between  "When" 
and  "  I "  makes  a  separate 
verse  :  if  we  arrange  them  to- 
gether they  fall  rather  into 
two  verses,  each  of  four 
stresses,  with  pauses  occa- 
sionally taking  the  place  of  un- 
stressed impulses,  than  into 
one  verse  of  five  stresses 
followed  by  two  broken 
verses,  as  in  the  Cambridge 
Text.  Lady  Macbeth's  I  is 
the  normal  EL.  spelling  of  the 
particle  of  assent,  now  '  aye' ; 
the  earliest  diphthongal  spell- 
ing in  N.E.'D.  is  dated  1637: 
'yes'  has  taken  its  place  in 
literary  MN.E.  Macbeth  does 
not  answer,  his  attention 
being  distracted  by  another 
alarm.  SF20  LYES  is,  of 
course,  the  EL.  word  for  MN.E.  'sleeps.'  By  the  SECOND  CHAMBER  was  probably 
meant  the  one  next  the  chamber  of  state,  either  connected  with  it  by  a  gallery  or  inde- 
pendent as  in  Kenilworth  Castle.     If  the  latter,  Macbeth  hears  the  mutterings  of  the  rest- 

65 


MACBETH 
As  I  descended? 

LADY   MACBETH 
I. 
MACBETH 

Hearke! 

Who  lyes  i'  thf  second  chamber?  20 

LADY   MACBETH 

Donalbaine. 
MACBETH 

MARKING   THE   DAGGERS 

This  is  a  sorry  sight. 

LADY   MACBETH 
A  foolish  thought,  to  say  a  sorry  sight. 

MACBETH 
There  's  one  did  laugh  in  's  sleepe,  and  one 

cry'd,  '  Murther!' 
That  they  did  wake  each  other:  I  stood  and 

heard  them: 
But  they  did  say  their  prayers,  and  addrest 

them 
Againe  to  sleepe. 

LADY   MACBETH 
There  are  two  lodg'd  together. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

less  sleepers  through  the  open  windows.  Lady  Macbeth's  answer  seems  to  satisfy  him 
for  the  moment.  He  then  notices  with  a  start  his  blood-stained  hands,  probably  holding 
up  the  daggers  which  he  still  clutches.  MARKING  THE  DAGGERS  is  not  in  FO.  I  :  stage 
directions  occur  but  sparsely  in  EL.  dramatic  texts.  Pope  added  'Looks  on  his  hands/ 
and  'Looking  on  his  hands'  is  usually  given  in  modern  editions.  Some  direction  is  un- 
doubtedly necessary  to  point  the  reference;  but  'looking  on  his  hands'  is  hardly  appo- 
site when  each  hand  grips  its  bloody  'instrument';  see  v.  48.  SF  2 1  THIS  IS  A  SORRY 
SIGHT:  may  not  these  words  be  a  first  realization  of  his  helplessness?  —  he  cannot 
do   to   find  out   what  is    the 


cause  of  the  noise  with  these 
things  in  his  hands.  He  then 
recalls  that  when  he  went 
backtowardthe  room  whence 
the  sounds  came  there  were 
two  voices.  SF  23  THERE'S, 
the  EL.  contraction  for  '  there 
was,' cp.  note  to  1.2. 15-  SF  24 
THAT,  'so  that.'  STOOD, 
'stood  still,'  cp.  "take  leave 
and  stand  not  to  reply" 
3Hen.6  IV.  8.  23-  HEARD, 
'listened  to,'  cp.  II.  I.  57. 
<ff  25  PRAYERS  is  dissyllabic 
in  EL.E.,cp.  note  to  1.5-40. 
THEM, 'themselves':  inM.E. 
and  e.  N.E.  the  pronoun  of 
the  third  person  is  used  re- 
flexively.  ADDREST  TO 
SLEEPE  is  an  EL.  idiom  like 
that  in  'address  one's  self 
to  a  task,'  and  is  here  equiva- 
lent to  little  more  than  '  went.' 
Lady  Macbeth's  explanation 
is  natural  and  matter  of  fact : 
she  has  assigned  two  guests 
to  a  single  chamber. 

SF28  AS,  'as  if,'  cp.  1.4.  II. 
HANGMAN  in  EL.E.  means 
'executioner,'  N.  E.  D.  I  ;  cp. 
"  the  hangman's  axe  "  Merch. 
IV.  I.  125.  *1F29  LISTNING, 
'listening  to  the  expression 
of,'  cp.  "To  listen  our  pur- 
pose" Ado  III.  I.'ll.  Mac- 
beth's surprise  at  not  being 
able  to  say  AMEN  to  a  GOD 
BLESSE  US  is  not  a  note  of 
hypocrisy  in  his  character,  but 
due  to  his  failure  to  realize  the 
fact  that  he  has  sold  himself  to 
the  powers  of  darkness.  It 
was  a  popular  superstition  of 


ACT  II 


SCENE  II 


27-40 


MACBETH 
One  cry'd  '  God  blesse  us ! '  and  *  Amen  f  the 

other, 
As  they  had  seene  me  with  these  hangman's 

hands: 
Listning  their  feare,  I  could  not  say  'Amen/ 
When  they  did  say  'God  blesse  us.f  3° 

LADY    MACBETH 
Consider  it  not  so  deepely.  30 

MACBETH 
But    wherefore     could     not     I     pronounce 

'Amen'  ? 
I  had  most  need  of  blessing,  and  'Amen' 
Stuck  in  my  throat. 

LADY   MACBETH 
These  deeds  must  not  be  thought 
After  these  wayes:  so,  it  will  make  us  mad. 

MACBETH 
Me  thought  I  heard  a  voyce  cry  i  Sleep  no 

more! 
Macbeth  does  murther   sleepe' —  the  inno- 
cent sleepe, 
Sleepe  that  knits  up  the  ravel'd  sleave  of 

care, 
The  death   of  each   dayes  life,  sore  labor's 

bath, 
Balme  of  hurt  mindes,  great  nature's  second 

course, 
Chiefe  nourisher  in  life's  feast, — 
66 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  II 


SCENE  II 


40-47 


LADY    MACBETH 

What  doe  you  meane? 

MACBETH 
Still   it  cry'd   *  Sleepe  no  more!'  to  all  the 

house: 
*  Glamis  hath  murther'd  sleepe,  and  therefore 

Cawdor 
Shall  sleepe  no  more;  Macbeth  shall  sleepe 

no  more.' 

LADY    MACBETH 
Who  was  it  that  thus  cry'd?    Why,  worthy 

thane, 
You  doe  unbend  your  noble  strength  to  thinke 
So  braine-sickly  of  things.    Goe  get  some 

water, 
And  wash   this  filthie  witnesse   from   your 

hand. 


Shakspere's  time  that  'God 
bless  us'  was  a  charm  against 
sorcery  and  witchcraft ;  cp. 
Comenius,  'Janua'  793, "Be- 
witchings  are  driven  away  by 
amulets,  spels,  or  charms,  yea 
by  this  one  word  cPraefiscini, 
God  forfend,  God  bless  us, 
&c,  spoken  to  prevent  envie 
or  witchcraft."  Shakspere 
again  refers  to  this  supersti- 
tion in  Merch.  III.  1. 22, "Let 
me  say  Amen  betimes,  least 
the  devill  crosse  my  praier." 
There  can  be  little  doubt  that 
Shakpere's  audience  under- 
stood the  sleeper's  cry  as 
an  invocation  of  protection 
against  the  devil,  and  well 
knew  why  it  was  Amen  stuck 
in  Macbeth's  throat.  SF  33 
THESE  in  EL.E.  is  sometimes 
equivalent  to 'such  as  these,' 
cp.  IV.3- 118  and  IV.3-74. 
DEEDSin  EL.E.  means 'acts,' 
'actions,' without  the  conno- 
tation of  importance  which  we 


usually  attach  to  the  word,  a 
sense  still  retained  in  phrases  like 'in  word  and  deed';  and  so  Macbeth  says  in  III. 4. 144 
that  he  and  his  partner  are  "young  in  deed,"  i.e.  inexperienced  in  action.  THOUGHT 
means 'looked  at,"  considered,' 'regarded':  see  note  to  II.  1. 21.  SF  34  AFTER  THESE 
W  AYES, 'in  this  fashion,' cp.  "after  this  downe-right  way"  Meas.III.2. 112.  SO:  i.e. 'if  we 
regard  them  in  this  way,'  see  note  to  II.  1.47.  *1F35  The  voice,  'procedingfrom  a  corrupt 
imagination'  (Burton,  'Anat.  of  Mel.'  1.3. 1),  may  have  had  its  origin  in  the  shouting  of 
drunken  revellers  in  another  part  of  the  house.  It  is  another  symptom  of  Macbeth's  insanity. 
As  in  1. 5-  24  ff.,  there  are  no  quotation-marks  in  FO.  I  :  but  it  is  not  likely  that  the  quotation 
extends  beyond  "more."  SF36  INNOCENT  is  probably  "inn'cent,"  cp.  1. 5. 66.  <ff  37 
KNITS  UP,  'binds  up,'  cp.  "let  me  teach  you  how  to  knit  againe  This  scattred  corne  into 
one  mutuall  sheaf e"  Titus  V. 3-70.  RAVEL'D,  'entangled,'  cp.  "as  you  unwind  her  love 
from  him,  Least  it  should  ravell  and  be  good  to  none"  Two  Gent.  III.2.5I.  SLEAVE  in 
EL.E.  is  the  name  for  unwrought  or  unspun  silk;  cp.  "thou  idle,  immateriall  skiene  of 
sleive  silke"  Tro.&Cr.  V.  1.35-  In  Florio,  1598,  sfillazza  is  glossed  "any  kind  of  ravelled 
stuffe,  or  sleave  silk,"  cited  by  Malone ;  CI.  Pr.  adds  "bauellare,  to  ravell  as  raw  silke." 
Both  these  entries  show  that  "ravelling"  was  a  common  association  with  this  "unwrought 
silk."  Skinner,  in  attempting  to  trace  sleave  silk  to  Dutch  sleyp,  says  that  it  is  so  called 
because,  before  it  is  knit  up,  netum  sir,  it  hangs  to  the  ground  in  a  long  train,  syrmate : 
Dutch  sleyp  is  a  translation  of  Latin  syrma.  The  Folio  spelling  "sleeve"  seems  to  be 
abnormal,  as  the  e  is  generally  written  as  an  open  vowel  in  EL.  E. ;  in  Tro.&Cr.  the  Quarto 
spelling  is  "sleive,"  the  Folio  spelling  "sleyd,"  but  this  latter  may  have  been  corrupted 
from  "slev'd,"  another  form  of  the  adjective.  The  history  of  'sleave'  has  not  yet  been 
made  out,  and  it  may  be  that  a  form  with  close  e  existed  in  Shakspere's  time.  SF  38 
DEATH  OF  EACH  DAYES  LIFE;  cp.  "death-counterfeiting  sleepe"  Mids.  III. 2. 364  and 
"To  see  the  life  as  lively  mock'd  as  ever  Still  sleepe  mock'd  death"  Wint.T.  V.3«  I9> 

67 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


Notwithstanding  the  aptness  of  the  association  between  sleep  and  death,  Warburton  pro- 
posed 'birth'  and  Becket  'breath'  for  "death,"  and  Jennens  conjectured  'grief  for  "life." 
SF  39  BALME  OF  HURT  MINDES:  Burton, '  Anat.  of  Mel.,'  says  that  sleep  sometimes  is  a 
sufficient  remedy  for  'head-melancholy'  'of  itself  without  any  other  physic'  SECOND 
COURSE  :  in  '  For  to  Serve  a  Lord,'  written  at  the  end  of  the  1 5th  or  the  beginning  of  the 
1 6th  century,  and  printed  on  p.  366  of  the  '  Babees  Book,'  ed.  Furnivall,  the  "second 
course"  is  described  as  the  substantial  course  of  a  dinner,  with  a  long  list  of  dishes, 
p.  370,  preceded  by  the  "  potage  "  and  followed  by  the  "dessert."  SF  40  NOU  RISHER  seems 
here  to  be  syncopated  to  "nour'sher."  The  reader  will  do  well  to  compare  2Hen.4  III. 
1.6  ff.  and  Hen. 5  IV.  1.274  ff.  with  this  passage.  SF  41  As  in  vv.  22  and  27,  Macbeth,  in 
his  rapt  state,  pays  no  attention  to  Lady  Macbeth's  words.  SF  43  The  verse  echoes  the 
rhythm  of  1.3.  50,  and  by  its  repetition  also  suggests  "  All  haile,  Macbeth  !  " — a  fact  which 
hardly  leaves  room  for  doubt  as  to  where  the  quotation-marks  belong.  SF45  TO  THINKE 
is  normal  EL.  syntax  corre- 

ACT  II  SCENE  II 


sponding  to  'by  thinking'  or 
'when  you  think' ;  cp.  1. 5. 32. 
SF46  BRAINE-SICKLY:  EL. 
adjectives  in  -ly  formed  ad- 
verbs without  the  suffix.  The 
word  means  'insanely,'  not 
'foolishly' :  "brain-sickness" 
is  the  usual  EL.  gloss  for 
mania,  "a  disease  rising  of 
too  much  abundance  of  good 
bloud  having  recourse  to  the 
head,  which  causeth  the  partie 
to  bee  braine-sicke  and  to  fall 
into  furie  and  rage."  SF  47 
FILTHIE  in  EL.  E.  was  not 
so  strong  a  word  as  now,  cp. 
note  to  1. 1. 10,  and  WIT- 
NESSE  is  the  usual  term  in 
EL.  E.  for  'evidence.' 

<ff49  CARRY  in  this  sense 
of  'taking  to  a  place'  is 
now  obsolete,  N.  E.  D.  5, 
though  still  used  in  Virginia. 
SF50  SLEEPIE, 'plunged  in 
sleep,'  as  in  I.  7.75,  cp.  Cot- 
grave,  u  sommeillant ,  sleep- 
ing; sleepie."  SF 56  GUILD: 
the  redness  of  gold  gave  rise 
to  various  word  associations 
in  EL.  E.  which  now  seem 
unnatural;  "to  gild"  was  to 
smear  with  blood,  as  here  and 
inJohnII.I.3l6,"allgiltwith 
Frenchmen's  blood" — this 
and  other  citations  in  N.E.  D. 
Id.  Duncan's  "golden  blood" 
in  II. 3- 1 18  is  not  afar-fetched 
figure,  but  another  instance 


48-59 

Why  did  you  bring  these  daggers  from  the 

place? 
They  must  lye  there:  goe  carry  them,  and 

smeare 
The  sleepie  groomes  with  blood. 
MACBETH 

I  fle  goe  no  more: 
I  am  afraid  to  thinke  what  I  have  done; 
Looke  on  rt  againe,  I  dare  not. 

LADY    MACBETH 

Infirme  of  purpose! 
Give  me  the  daggers:   the  sleeping  and  the 

dead 
Are  but  as  pictures:    'tis  the  eye  of  child- 
hood 
That  feares  a  painted  devill.    If  he  doe  bleed, 
I  Tle  guild  the  faces  of  the  groomes  withall, 
For  it  must  seeme  their  guilt. 

EXIT 
KNOCKE  WITHIN 

MACBETH 

Whence  is  that  knocking? 
How  is  't  with  me,  when  every  noyse  appalls 

me? 
What  hands  are  here?  hah  !  They  pluck  out 
mine  eyes! 
68 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

of  this  same  association  of  ideas — unfortunately  overlooked  in  N.  E.D.  So  Shakspere  writes 
"  guilded  pale  lookes,  Part  shame,  part  spirit  renew'd  "  for  flushing  of  the  face  in  Cym.  V.  3. 34, 
and  "this  grand  liquor  that  hath  gilded  'em"  for  the  flushing  of  drink  in  Temp.  V.  I.  280. 
WITHALL,  'with  his  blood';  cp.  note  to  1.3-5.  SF57  THEIR  GUILT  is  a  grim  jest:  such 
puns  were  more  acceptable  to  EL.  ears  than  to  ours.  The  same  play  of  meaning  is  found  in 
Hen. 5  II.  Chor.  26  (cited  by  Steevens).  The  insistent  knocking,  though  it  cannot  be  that 
which  is  the  subject  of  the  Porter's  soliloquy  in  the  scenethatfollows,neverthelessconnects 
the  two  scenes.  It  further  carries  on  the  interest  of  this  scene  by  affording  occasion  to  con- 
tinue the  starts  and  breaks  of  thought  and  rhythm  which  mark  its  progress.  SF  58  HOW  I S  'T 
WITH  ME, 'In  what  condition  am  I?'  'What  is  the  matter  with  me?'  cp.  "you  see  how  all  is, 
i.e.  the  case  stands,  things  go,  with  me ;  quo  in  loco  sint  res  et  fortunae  meae  vides  "  Phr. 
Gen.  s.v. '  how.'  The  words  show  that  Macbeth  as  well  as  his  wife  is  ignorant  of  the  cause 
of  his  delusion.     *ff  59    WHAT, i.e.  what  sort  of,  cp.  1.3.39.    The  interjection  HAH  is  often 

interrogative    in    EL.  E.   and 

ACT  II  SCENE  II  60-63     ESS  "  ?« £»EE3£ 

w/--ii       ii     j  xt  »  11  fore,  that  HAH  belongs  with 

Will    all    great    Neptune  S    Ocean    wash    this       the  first  clause   rather  than 

blood  with  the  second:   in  FO.  I  it 

Q£  1_       J  "j       kt       a1_  ■  i         J       is  followed  by  a  colon. 

eane  irom  my  hand:      JNo,  this  my  hand  J 

will  rather  *ff  62  The  aptness  of  the  asso- 

The  multitudinous  seas  incarnadine,  ciation  in  multitudinous 

.....  .  SEAS  perhaps  accounts  tor 

Making  the  greene  one  red.  the  fact  that  incarnadine 

now  means  'to  stain  with 
blood':  but  before  Shakspere  wrote  this  passage  the  word  meant  'to  make  flesh-colored'  or 
'rose-colored';  cp.  N.E.  D.  s.v.  A.  The  Folios  read  "incarnardine"  :  but  such  a  spelling  is 
anomalous  and  here  probably  a  mere  misprint.  SF  63  MAKING  THE  GREENE  ONE  RED 
has  occasioned  much  difficulty  to  Shakspere  scholars.  The  phrase  is  punctuated  in  the 
first  three  Folios  with  a  comma  after  ONE;  evidently  the  editors  of  FO.  I  took  GREENE 
ONE  together.  The  fact  that  "  Greene"  and  "  Red"  are  capitalized  in  FO.  I  may  be  taken 
as  an  indication  that  they  understood  "Greene  one"  to  be  a  reference  to  Neptune  above. 
Shakspere  speaks  of  "thegreene  Neptune"  in  Wint.T.  IV.4.28  and  in  Ant.&Cl.  IV.  14.58; 
"Mars  the  red"  is  a  common  M.E.  phrase,  though  Shakspere  only  once  refers  to  Mars's 
color  and  then  indirectly  in  "as  red  as  Mars  his  heart"  Tro.&Cr.  V.2. 1 64.  Shakspere 
may  have  had  in  mind  the  notion  of  the  rosy  sea  dyeing  Neptune  in  Mars's  color.  If  one 
objects  to  this  on  the  ground  that  Macbeth  would  scarcely  be  guilty  of  such  an  artificial 
metaphor  under  the  circumstances,  he  must  remember  that  such  notions  were  not  so 
artificial  to  EL.  ears  as  they  are  to  ours:  he  must,  moreover,  be  prepared  to  excuse 
"incarnadine,"  an  epithet  that  was  highly  artificial  in  EL.  E.,  as  has  been  pointed  out. 
But  another  interpretation  is  possible:  "one"  is  very  common  in  EL.  E.  as  a  grammatical 
substitute  for  a  noun  just  mentioned,  and  is  often  used  when  in  MN.E.  such  a  locution 
would  be  avoided;  "making  the  greene  one  red"  can  therefore  be  equivalent  to  'making 
the  green  sea  red,'  as  in  Steevens's  citation  from  Heywood,  "He  made  the  green  sea  red  with 
Turkish  blood."  Many  modern  editors  say  this  reading  is  ridiculous :  but  unfortunately 
their  judgement  is  not  always  to  be  trusted  as  to  what  is  ridiculous  or  not  ridiculous  in  EL.  E. ; 
and  when  one  thinks  of  the  hopelessly  absurd  idiom  that  they  are  from  time  to  time  will- 
ing to  put  in  Shakspere's  mouth  if  they  do  not  happen  to  understand  his  EL.  phraseology, 
one  can  only  smile  at  their  eagerness  to  lay  on  the  printer  the  burden  of  their  own  igno- 
rance. One  editor  'feels  instinctively  that  the  passage  has  been  corrupted,'  yet  his 
instinct  leads  him  to  'surmise  that  the  passage  originally  read:  Making  the  green  zone 
red'!     One  might  exclaim  with  Falstaff,  'Beware  instinct!'     Moreover,  the  substitute 

69 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


proposed,  'making  the  green  uniformly  red/  is,  as  Malone  maintained,  neither  good  EL.E. 
nor  good  MN.E.,  however  well  such  a  reading  may  satisfy  our  modern  literary  sense. 
Such  a  notion  takes  the  form  "all  one"  in  M.E.  and  N.E.,  with  "one"  in  its  M.E. 
sense  of  'same/  "One  red"  is  not  in  Shakspere's  English  the  equivalent  of  'one  uni- 
form redness,'  nor  are  the  "total  gules"  of  Ham. II. 2. 479  and  Milton's  "one  blot"  in 
Comus,  v.  133,  parallel  idioms  to  "one  red."  The  phraseology  of  this  modern  reading — it 
begins  with  Johnson,  1795  —  is  therefore  as  much  open  to  question  as  is  the  taste  of  the 
Folio  reading.  That  it  now  passes  muster  as  good  English  is  rather  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  syntax  of   the  pas- 

sage,    so   often   quoted   with       ACT     jj  SCENE     II  64-74 

this  idea  in  mind,  has  be- 
come familiar  to  our  ears. 
It  seems  better  therefore  to 
take  "greene"  and  "one"  to- 
gether than  to  assume  with- 
out evidence  that  the  Folio 
misprints  the  verse. 


ENTER   LADY   MACBETH 

LADY    MACBETH 
My  hands  are  of  your  colour,  but  I  shame 
To  weare  a  heart  so  white. 

KNOCKE  WITHIN 

I  heare  a  knocking 
At  the  south  entry:  retyrewe  to  our  chamber: 
A  little  water  cleares  us  of  this  deed: 
How  easie  is  it  then!   Your  constancie 
Hath  left  you  unattended. 

KNOCKE  WITHIN 

Hearke!   more  knocking: 
Get   on   your    night-gowne,    least    occasion 

call  us 
And  shew  us  to  be  watchers:   be  not  lost 
So  poorely  in  your  thoughts. 

MACBETH 
To  know  my  deed  't  were  best   not   know 
my  selfe. 

KNOCKE  WITHIN 

Wake  Duncan  with  thy  knocking!    I  would 
thou  could'st! 

EXEUNT 


*ff  64  YOUR  COLOUR,  i.e. 
red,  cp.  v.  55  and  V.  1.48. 
SHAME  :  Lady  Macbeth  can 
hardly  mean  that  she  is 
ashamed  to  be  such  a  coward 
as  her  husband  is :  in  the 
Cent.  Diet,  is  cited  a  sen- 
tence from  Greene  in  which 
the  verb  seems  to  mean  to 
'avoid  with  a  sense  of  shame' : 
"My  master  sad  —  forwhy 
[i.e.  wherefore]  he  shames 
the  court  —  is  fled  away"' Jas. 
IV '  V.  6.  Perhaps  "  shame  " 
has  some  such  meaning  here 
and  is  used  like  MN.E. 
'scorn'  in  "to  scorn  to  do." 
*ff  68  A  similar  notion  occurs 
in  Sidney's  Arcadia,  p.  293  b, 
"His  mind  was  evill  wayted 
on  by  his  lamed  force,"  re- 
flecting the  EL.  psychology 
referred  to  in  the  note  on  p.  26. 
Lady  Macbeth  here  and  in  the 
last  part  of  v.  64  shows  by 
her  words  that  the  knocking 
creates  a  panic  in  Macbeth's 

mind  each  time  he  hears  it.  SF  70  NIGHT-GOWNE  here  and  in  V.  1.5  is 'dressing-gown,' 
the  usual  meaning  of  the  word  in  EL.E.  OCCASION,  'necessity,'  as  in  "My  master  is 
awak'd  [i.e.  impelled]  by  great  occasion  "  Timon  II.  2. 21.  SF7I  A  WATCHER  in  EL.E.  is 
not  only  'one  who  watches,'  but  also  'one  who  sits  up  late.'  LOST,  'bewildered,'  'not 
knowing  what  to  do,'  as  in  "I  'm  lost  in  it,  my  lord"  Ham.  IV.  7. 55.  *ff  72  POORELY, 
'spiritlessly,'  cp.  "To  looke  so  poorely  and  to  speake  so  faire"  Rich. 2  III. 3. 128.  SF  73 
TO  KNOW  MY  DEED,  'to  know  what  I  am  to  do':  DEED  in  EL.E.  had  the  sense  of 
'thing  to  be  done';  cp.  N.E.D.3  and  especially  the  quotation  from   North's   Plutarch, 

70 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

"You  shall  set  the  poor  distressed  city  of  Syracusa  again  on  foot,  which  is  your  deed." 
Macbeth  is  not  thinking  of  the  past,  but  of  the  future.  Utterly  bewildered  and  horror- 
stricken,  this  last  knocking  rouses  only  the  impatience  of  impotence  and  the  helpless  re- 
gret of  one  who  for  the  first  time  realizes  the  irrevocableness  of  his  past  action. 


SCENE   III:    MACBETH'S   CASTLE:    ENTER   A   PORTER 


1-27 


KNOCKING   WITHIN 

PORTER 

ERE  'S  a  knocking  indeede!    If 

a  man  were  porter  of  hell  gate, 

hee  should  have  old  turning  the 

key.      [knock  within.]      Knock, 

knock,  knock!  Who  's  there, 
iT  thT  name  of  Belzebub?  Here's  a  farmer, 
that  hang'd  himselfe  on  th'  expectation  of 
plentie:  come  in  time;  have  napkins  enow 
about  you;  here  you  'le  sweat  for  't.  [knock 
within.]  Knock,  knock!  Who's  there,  in 
th'  other  devil's  name?  'Faith,  here  's  an 
equivocator,  that  could  sweare  in  both  the 
scales  against  eyther  scale;  who  committed 
treason  enough  for  God's  sake,  yet  could  not 
equivocate  to  heaven:  oh,  come  in,  equivoca- 
tor. [knock  within.]  Knock,  knock,  knock ! 
Who  's  there?  'Faith,  here  's  an  English 
taylor  come  hither,  for  stealing  out  of  a 
French  hose:  come  in,  taylor;  here  you  may 
rost  your  goose,  [knock  within.]  Knock, 
knock!  Never  at  quiet!  What  are  you? — but 
this  place  is  too  cold  for  hell:  I'ledevill-porter 
it  no  further.  I  had  thought  to  have  let  in 
some  of  all  professions  that  goe  the  prim- 
rose way  to  th'  everlasting  bonfire,  [knock 
within.]  Anon,  anon!  I  pray  you  remember 
the  porter.  opens  the  gate 

was  prospect  of  plenty  of  corn 
in  the  summer  and  autumn  of  that  year.  But  the  fact  that  the  story  had  already  been  used 
by  Jonson  in  1599  makes  his  argument  of  little  weight.      *1F  7    EXPECTATION,  'prospect,' 

71 


*ff  2  HELL  GATE, 'the  gates 
of  hell':  'hell'  here,  as  in 
"hell-hound"  V. 7. 32,  and  in 
MN.E.  "hell-fire,"  is  really  a 
genitive  from  M.E.  "helle," 
and  'gate'  is  a  plural  form 
from  M.E. 'gate';  "hell-kite" 
IV.  3- 217,  and  "hell-broth" 
IV.  1. 19,  are  later  imitations 
of  these  earlier  phrases.  *lr  3 
OLD  is  an  EL.  expletive  word, 
loosely  used  for  emphasis 
sake,  like  our  MN.E.  "jolly." 
In  MN.E.  "high  old  time" 
there  is  perhaps  a  survival 
of  this  EL.  E.  idiom.  Cotgrave 
under  diable  gives  "faire  le 
diable  de  vauvert,  to  keep  an 
oldcoyle";  Shakspere  again 
uses  the  idiom  in  "we  shal 
have  old  swearing"  Merch. 
IV.  2. 15.  SF4  The  half-awake 
porter  falls  a-dreaming  that 
he  is  the  porter  of  hell.  The 
allusion  in  SF  6  seems  to  be 
to  a  current  jest  of  the  time : 
it  is  also  found  in  Jonson's 
Every  Man  out  of  his  Hu- 
mour, 1599,  HLvii:  uSor- 
dido.  Soule,  if  this  [i.e.  the 
good  weather]  hold,  we  shall 
shortly  have  an  excellent  crop 
of  corne  spring  out  of  the  high 
wayes  .  .  goe  to,  I  '11  prevent 
the  sight  of  it."  He  then 
hangs  himself,  "falls  off"  the 
stage  direction  reads.  Ma- 
lone  argued  that  Shakspere's 
words  pointed  to  1 606  as  the 
date  of  the  play  because  there 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


'promise/  cp.  "A  good  plotte,  good  friends,  and  full  of  expectation"  lHen.4  II.  3-  19, 
and  see  N.  E.  D.4.  *ff  8  COME  IN  TIME,  'an  early  arrival,'  "come"  being  the  past  par- 
ticiple, cp.  Phr.  Gen.  "timely,  in  time, mature.11  NAPKINS,  'handkerchiefs/  cp.  "a  napkin 
or  handkerchiefe  wherewith  wee  wipe  away  the  sweate"  Baret's  Alvearie  s.v.  'hand' ;  also 
Oth.  III. 3. 287.  The  form  ENOW  in  e.N.E.  is  usually  the  plural  of  "enough"  as  it  is 
here,  preserving  an  O.E.  and  M.E.  form  distinction;  see  N.  E.  D.  s.v.  *ff9  To  SWEAT 
FOR  'T  in  EL.  E.,  as  in  MN.  E.,  meant  to  pay  the  penalty  for  a  wrong  done,  see  Cent.  Diet. 
SF  1 1  TH'  OTHER  DEVIL'S  NAME  that  the  porter  could  not  recall  may  have  been  Behe- 
moth or  Demogorgon,  both  of  which  were  used  as  names  for  devils  in  media2val  demon- 
ology.  *ff  12  The  Jesuitical  doctrine  of  equivocation,  according  to  which  the  making  of 
a  false  statement  under  oath  was  not  perjury  if  the  speaker  could  put  any  sense,  however 
extravagant,  upon  the  words  of  which  he  made  use,  became  prominent  at  the  time  of  the 
trial  of  the  Gunpowder  conspirators  in  the  spring  of  1 606  ;  cp.  Gardiner's  History,  vol.  XI, 
pp.  281  ff.  The  mention  of  TREASON  in  the  connection  would  indicate  that  this  passage 
was  written  after  the  trial.  IF  1 3  SCALES  in  EL.  E.  are  the  scale-pans  of  the  balance. 
BOTH  seems  here  to  be  used  in  the  sense  of  'either  of  two/  uterque,  'he  could  swear  on 
either  side  of  the  case  against  the  other.'  *ff  19  HOSE,  'breeches/  N.E.D. 2.  The  pecu- 
liar enormity  of  the  tailor's  crime  consisted  in  the  fact  that  one  kind  of  French  hose 
"contained  neither  length,  breadth,  nor  sideness  [i.e.  fullness]"  Stubbes's  Anatomie  of 
Abuses,  I583,ed.  Furnivall,  p.  56,  cited  by  CI.  Pr.  Shakspere  calls  them  "short  blistred 
breeches"  in  Hen. 8  1. 3- 31-  SF 2 1  AT  QUIET  is  an  EL.  phrase  like  'at  rest';  Phr.  Gen. 
gives  'at  quiet'  as  a  synonym  of  'quiet.'  The  interrogative  WHAT  frequently  occurs  in 
EL.E.  where  MN.E.  employs  'who.'  SF  24  The  porter's  PRIMROSE  WAY,  which  Shak- 
spere also  uses  in  All 's  W.  IV.  5-  56  and  in  Ham.  1.3-  50,  seems  to  have  been  a  cant  phrase 
of  the  time.  His  notion  is  something  like  one  in  Dekker's  Knight's  Conjuring :  "  You  have 
of  all  trades,  of  all  professions,  of  all  states,  some  there,"  i.e.  in  hell.  There  is  regret  in  his 
I  HAD  THOUGHT  as  the  morning  chill  wakens  him  to  the  realization  that  some  one  is 
really  knocking  at  his  gate.  His  sleepy  ANON,  ANON  !  ('coming,  coming! ')  and  his 
mechanical  demand  for  a 
gratuity,  I  PRAY  YOU  RE- 
MEMBER THE  PORTER,are 
touches  of  nature  which  only 
Shakspere  would  have  given 
the  scene. 


ACT  II 


SCENE  III 


28-37 


SF28  Macduff's  words  call 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
porter  has  over-slept  himself ; 
they  can  be  construed  into  a 
sort  of  blank  verse — indeed, 
the  whole  passage  is  in  that 
rhythmic  prose  which  EL. 
dramatists  often  fall  into : 
such  prose  differs  from  poetry 
in  not  having  a  clearly  marked 
coincidence  of  phrase  and 
verse  division.  FO.I  divides 
in  verses  :  Was  . .  bed,  That . . 
late,  'Faith  . .  cock,  And  .  . 
things ;  what  follows  until 
Macbeth  enters  is  printed  as 
prose.  *ff  30  THE  SECOND 
COCK,cp.  "The  second  cocke 


ENTER   MACDUFF  AND   LENOX 

MACDUFF 

Was  it  so  late,  friend,  ere  you  went  to  bed, 
that  you  doe  lye  so  late? 

PORTER 
'  Faith,  sir,  we  were  carowsing  till  the  second 
cock:  and  drinke,  sir,  is  a  great  provoker  of 
three  things. 

MACDUFF 
What  three  things   does   drinke    especially 
provoke? 

PORTER 
Marry,  sir,  nose-painting,  sleepe  and  urine. 
Lecherie,  sir,  it  provokes  and  unprovokes; 
it  provokes  the  desire,  but  it  takes  away  the 

72 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  II 


SCENE  III 


38-50 


perfoi 


with  which  it  is  compounded. 
SF40  SETS  ON,  'eggs  on.' 
«ff  41  TAKES  OFF,  cp.  "He 
endeavors  to  take  me  off, 
operam  dat  tit  me  abstrahat " 
Coles.  <lr42  STAND  TOO, 
'maintain  one's  ground' :  the 
form  distinction  between  'to' 
and  'too'  is  modern.  *ff 43 
IN  sometimes  in  EL.  E.  corre- 
sponds to  MN.E. 'into/  cp. 
I.3«  126.  This  seems  to  be  its 
sense  here.  SF  44  There  is  un- 
doubtedly a  double  meaning 


hath  crow'd  .  .  't  is  three  a 

clocke"    Rom.&  Jul.  IV.  4.  3 

.i_p  1      1    •    1  1  (cited    by     Malone).       SF  36 

>rmance:  therefore  much  dnnke  maybe  VELE  uyn_  in  composition 
said  to  be  an  equivocator  with  lecherie:  it  frequently  means  to  undo  the 
makes  him  and  it  marres  him;  it  sets  him  on  effcct  conn°ted  by  the  verb 
and  it  takes  him  off ;  it  perswadeshim  and  dis- 
heartens him;  makes  him  stand  too  and  not 
stand  too;  in  conclusion,  equivocates  him  in 
a  sleepe,  and  giving  him  the  lye,  leaves  him. 

MACDUFF 
I  beleeve  drinke  gave  thee  the  lye  last  night. 

PORTER 
That  it  did,  sir,  if  the  very  throat  on   me: 
but  I  requited  him  for  his  lye,  and,  I  thinke, 
being    tOO    Strong   for   him,  though   he  tooke       in  the  porter's  words:  Autoly 

up  my  leddes  sometime,  yet  I  made  a  shift     g?  m*kes  ■  similar  jest  in 

U-  Wint.T.  IV.  4.  745,  where  the 

to  cast  nim.  unsuccessful effortstoexplain 

or  emend  the  passage  into 
MN.E.  sense  show  that  the  phrase  "give  the  lye"  in  EL. E.  had  a  double  meaning.  The 
N.E. D.  throws  no  light  on  the  difficulty.  The  notion  here  seems  to  be  that  of  'providing 
sleeping  quarters  for,'  cp.  'lie'  in  the  sense  of  'lodge.'  Autolycus's  words  will  bear  such  a 
meaning :  "  it  [i.e.  lying]  becomes  none  but  tradesmen  [cp.  Stubbes, '  Anatomie  of  Abuses,' 
ed.  Furnivall,  p.  87],  and  they  often  give  us  souldiers  the  lye,  but  wee  pay  them  for  it 
with  stamped  coyne,  not  stabbing  Steele,  therefore  they  doe  not  give  us  the  lye.  Clo. 
Your  worship  had  like  to  have  given  us  one  if  you  had  not  taken  your  selfe  with  the 
manner  [i.e.  'in  the  act,'  playing  on  'give'  and  'take']."  And  so  here:  "giving  the  lye" 
has  obvious  reference  to  putting  one  to  bed.  Shakspere  is  fond  of  punning  on  the  word. 
At  all  events,  the  phrase  undoubtedly  had  to  Shakspere's  audience  a  meaning  appropriate 
to  the  context,  and  was  not  the  sheer  nonsense  that  modern  editors  of  Shakspere  are 
willing  to  suppose  it.  SF  46  I' THE  THROAT  is  a  common  EL.  expletive  of  giving 
the  lie,  cp.  "you  lye  in  your  throat"  2Hen.4  1.2.97,  and  "gives  me  the  lye  i'  th'  throate 
As  deepe  as  to  the  lungs"  Ham.  II.  2. 601.  ON  was  frequently  used  in  EL.E.  where 
MN.E.  requires  'of,'  especially  in  colloquial  idiom:  MN.E.  'to  have  the  law  on  one' 
seems  to  be  due  to  such  syntax.  SF  47  LYE  in  this  instance,  as  Delius  pointed  out,  seems  to 
mean  'a  fall  in  wrestling,'  echoing  the  sense  of  the  word  in  v.  45.  No  such  meaning  is 
given  in  N.E.D.  nor  any  such  wrestling  term  as  TAKE  UP  ONE'S  LEGS;  but  that  this 
is  the  reference  seems  clear  from  CAST,  'to  throw  in  wrestling,'  N.E.D.  1 3.  The  quibble 
turns  on  this  meaning  and  that  in  N.E.  D. 25  ;  Ben  Jonson  has  a  similar  quibble  in  Every 
Man  in  his  Humour  I.iv,  using  the  word  as  referring  to  the  laying  of  a  stake  in  gambling 
as  well  as  to  the  disturbance  of  the  stomach  caused  by  excessive  drinking :  "You  shall  find 
him  with  two  cushions  under  his  head  .  .  as  though  he  had  neither  won  nor  lost,  and  yet 
I  warrant  he  ne're  cast  better  in  his  life  than  he  has  done  tonight.  cMat.  Why?  was  he 
drunke?"  Such  quibbling  as  this  of  the  porter's  was  conventional  for  clowns  and 
rustics  on  the  EL.  stage,  cp.  the  clowns  in  Wint.T.  and  Hamlet  and  the  dialogue  between 
the  porter  and  his  man  in  Hen. 8.  V.  4,  where  the  porter's  obscenity  is  even  worse  than  it 
is  here.     That  EL.  notions  of  propriety  were  not  shocked  by  such  language  is  evident 

73 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


from  the  fact  that  it  occurs  in  the  work  of  the  best  dramatists.  Shakspere  in  this  respect 
is  neither  better  nor  worse  than  his  time.  It  is  interesting  to  find  in  Jonson's  arraign- 
ment of  the  indecency  of  contemporary  dramatic  literature  words  and  expressions  which 
to  our  modern   ears   are,  to 


ears  are, 
saytheleast, indelicate.  How 
really  indecent  the  drama  can 
be,  and  yet  strictly  conform 
to  correct  notions  of  pro- 
priety in  its  phraseology,  our 
modern  stage,  alas  !  will  bear 
eloquent  testimony.  Inde- 
cency of  language  is  quite 
another  thing  from  indecency 
of  imagination,  and  in  judg- 
ing of  the  moral  tone  of  EL. 
or  M.E.  literature  we  must 
be  careful  to  make  the  dis- 
tinction clearly  if  we  would 
escape  the  imputation  of  hy- 
pocrisy. 

<ff48  HERE  HE  COMES 
shows  that  the  scene  takes 
place  in  the  porter's  lodge  or 
near  it.  SF  49  GOOD  MOR- 
ROW, the  conventional  salu- 
tation 'Good  morning/  cp. 
1.5.62.  SF  51  TIMELY, 'early,' 
cp.  note  to  v.  8  and"  The  beds 
i'  th'  east  are  soft  and  thanks 
to  you,  That  cal'd  me  time- 
lier then  my  purpose  hither" 
Ant.&Cl.II.6.5I.  *ff  52  SLIPT 
THE  HOURE,  'let  slip  the 
appointment,'  cp.  "And  we 
.  .  Had  slipt  our  claime  un- 
till  another  age"  3Hen.6  II. 
2. 1 61.  *ff54  ONE,  i.e.  a  trou- 
ble. The  sentence  stress  upon 
"one  "  seems  unusual  to  mod- 
ern ears  :  possibly  no  contrac- 
tion of  IT  IS  was  intended. 
<ff55  PHYSICKS,'heals,'cp. 
"it  is  [see  1.4.58]  a  gallant 
child,  one  that  indeed  phys- 
icks  the  subject"  Wint.T.  I. 
1.42.  PAINE,  'trouble,'  cp. 
"The  paine  be  mine  but  thine 
shal  be  the  praise"  Sonn. 
XXXVIII.  14.  SF56  SO  is 
frequently  used  in  EL.  E.  with- 
out its  correlative  "  as  "  before 
a  following  infinitive,  cp.  "So 


ACT  II 


SCENE  III 


47*-58 

ENTER   MACBETH 


MACDUFF 
Is  thy  master  stirring? 

Our   knocking   has    awak'd  him;    here   he 
comes. 

LENOX 
Good  morrow,  noble  sir. 

MACBETH 

Good  morrow,  both. 
MACDUFF 
Is  the  king  stirring,  worthy  thane? 

MACBETH 

Not  yet. 

MACDUFF 
He  did  command  me  to  call  timely  on  him: 
I  have  almost  slipt  the  houre. 

MACBETH 

Tie  bring  you  to  him. 

MACDUFF 
I  know  this  is  a  joyfull  trouble  to  you; 
But  yet  't  is  one. 

MACBETH 
The  labour    we  delight  in  physicks  paine. 
This  is  the  doore. 

MACDUFF 
Tie  make  so  bold  to  call, 
For  ft  is  my  limitted  service. 

EXIT  MACDUFF 

LENOX 
Goes  the  king  hence  to  day? 
MACBETH 
He  does:  he  did  appoint  so. 

*  The  text  returns  to  the  standard  numeration. 

74 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  II 


SCENE  III 


59-68 


LENOX 
The  night  has  been  unruly:  where  we  lay, 
Our  chimneys  were  blowne  downe,  and,  as 

say, 
Lamenting  heard  i'  th'  ayre,  strange 

schreemes  of  death 
And  prophecying,  with  accents  terrible, 
Of  dyre  combustion  and  confus'd  events 
New  hatch'd  to  th'wofull  time:  the  obscure 

bird 
Clamor'd  the  live-long  night:  some  say,  the 

earth 
Was  fevorous  and  did  shake. 


rough  night. 


good,  sir,  to  rise"  Meas.  IV. 
3.29.  LIMITTED/appointed,' 
cp.  u  having  the  houre  limited 
and  an  expresse  command" 
Meas.  IV.2. 175.  As  far  as 
the  language  goes  it  is  not 
necessary  to  suppose  that 
they  say,  Macduff  was  a  'lord  of  the 

bed-chamber':  he  merely 
says  that  he  has  an  early  ap- 
pointment with  the  king.  SF  59 
When  one  thinks  of  what  was 
happening  at  the  time,  this 
picture  of  the  storm  adds  new 
horror  to  the  idea  of  Duncan's 
murder.  Shakspere  in  repre- 
senting it  here  may  have  had 
in  mind  a  popular  notion  like 
that  reflected  in  '  Besides,  the 
devil  many  times  takes  his 
opportunity  of  such  storms, 
and  when  the  humours  of  the 
air  be  stirred  he  goes  in  with 
them,  exagitates  our  spirits 
and  vexeth  our  souls  ;  as  the 
sea  waves,  so  are  the  spir- 
its and  humours  in  our  bod- 
ies tossed  with  tempestuous 
winds  and  storms'  Burton, 
'Anat.  of  Mel.'  I.ii.  2.  5.  LAY  of  course  means  'lodged'  as  in  II.  2.  20.  <ff6l  DEATH 
in  EL. E.  can  mean  'bloodshed,'  'murder,'  cp.  N.E. D.  6  and  "Death  or  slaughter  of  man 
or  beast,  occisio,  ccedes"  Phr.  Gen.;  so  that  SCHREEMES  OF  DEATH  corresponds  to 
MN.  E. '  shrieks  of  murder.'  The  ee  seems  to  be  anomalous,  pointing  to  the  sound  i  rather 
than  e  when  the  Folio  was  printed.  But  e  before  n  and  r  was  in  many  instances  a  close 
vowel  toward  the  end  of  the  1 6th  century,  and  it  may  be  that  after  r  also  the  change  was 
taking  place.  *1F 62  PROPHECYING  is  probably  an  adjective  limiting  "schreemes"  and 
connected  with  "strange,"  i.e.  'screams  of  death  strange  and  prophesying  combustion,' 
etc.;  such  word  order  was  not  uncommon  in  EL. E.,  and  is  preserved  in  MN.E.  phrases 
like  "good  men  and  true,"  cp.  "a  wise  man  and  of  great  pollicy"  Bacon's  Atlantis,  30, 
18  (ed.  Moore-Smith);  see  also  the  citation  from  I  Hen. 4  in  the  note  to  v.  7.  The  word 
"prophecying"  is  of  three  syllables,  see  note  to  1.6.6.  SF63  OF  is  often  used  in  EL.  E. 
before  the  direct  object  of  present  active  participles ;  the  idiom  now  survives  only  in 
dialect  English.  COMBUSTION,  'political  confusion,'  'tumult,'  a  sense  of  the  word  which, 
according  to  N.E. D.,  was  very  common  in  the  1 6th  and  1 7th  centuries,  but  is  now  some- 
what unusual;  cp.  "kindling  such  a  combustion  in  the  state"  Hen. 8  V. 4. 51-  CON- 
FUS'D  may  have  the  meaning  'full  of  confusion,'  'distracting,'  for  adjectives  formed  by 
the  suffix  -ed  had  such  wide  range  of  meaning  in  EL.  E.  that  they  often  corresponded  to 
MN.E.  present  participles,  cp.  1.6.5,  "dishonored  [i.e.  dishonouring]  peace"  Drayton, 
'Barrons  W.'  IV.  4. 2;  "these  thraled  [i.e.  enthralling]  dumps"  '  Faire  Em'  1. 1.25;  "A 
custome  More  honour'd  in  the  breach  then  the  observance"  Ham.  1.4. 15-  *ff64  NEW 
HATCH'D  :  Malone  aptly  compared  this  with  the  passage  cited  in  note  to  1.3-58  ;  but, failing 
to  see  that  "such  things  become  the  hatch  and  brood  of  time"  shows  that  TO  here  refers 
to  time  as  the  mother  of  events,  he  construed  the  preposition  in  the  sense  of  'to  suit.' 

75 


MACBETH 

'T  was  a 
LENOX 
My  young  remembrance  cannot  paralell 
A  fellow  to  it. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


The  perplexing  events  can  surely  be  thought  of  as  being  already  hatched  but  not  grown 
to  maturity.  OBSCURE  has  word  stress  on  the  first  syllable,  like  "oblique"  in  "  By 
oblique  glance  of  his  licentious  pen"  Jonson, '  Sejanus'  III.  I  ;  it  has  this  stress  in  Merch. 
II. 7. 5 1  also,  "In  the  obscure  grave."  The  word  is  here  used  in  its  sense  of  'haunting 
the  darkness,'  cp.  "with  obscure  wing  Scout  far  and  wide"  Milton,  'Paradise  Lost'  II. 
132  (Cent.  Diet.);  Shakspere  speaks  of  the  "nightly  [i.e.  night-loving]  owle"  in  Titus  II. 
3.97.      SF65     CLAMOR'D    in 


EL.  E.  had  not  the  association 
of  rapidly  repeated  sounds 
which  it  has  in  MN.E.,  but 
could  well  describe  the  owl's 
hooting:  it  is  used  of  wailing 
in  1.7.78.  1F66  FEVOROUS, 
cp.  "feavorous  life"  Meas. 
III.  1.75;  in  Shakspere'stime 
the  word  suggested  the  shak- 
ing of  an  ague  as  well  as  high 
temperature  of  the  blood. 
SF67  PARALELL, 'bring  into 
comparison  with,'  cp.  "  I  had 
thought  once  to  have  paral- 
lelled him  with  the  great  Alex- 
ander"Jonson,'  Sejanus'  1. 1. 
(Cent.  Diet.). 


ACT  II 


SCENE    III 


69-74 


ENTER   MACDUFF 

MACDUFF 
O  horror,  horror,  horror  I  tongue  nor  heart 
Cannot  conceive  nor  name  thee. 


MACBETH    AND    LENOX 

What  rs  the  matter? 
MACDUFF 
Confusion  now  hath  made  his  master-peece: 
Most  sacrilegious  murther  hath  broke  ope 
The  Lord's  anoynted  temple,  and  stole  thence 
The  life  o?thr  building. 

SF  69  Such  chiastic  construc- 
tions as  this  were  a  common  ornament  of  style  in  EL.  writers.  *1F7I  CONFUSION, 
'ruin,'  as  in  "  Make  large  confusion  and,  thy  fury  spent,  Confounded  be  thy  selfe"  Timon 
IV.3-I27.  HIS, 'its.'  SF  72  MOST  SACRILEGIOUS:  superlatives  were  very  frequently 
used  absolutely  in  EL.  E.,  e.g.  "  most  glorious  exploits  of  warre"  Florio's  Montaigne, 
1.23;  "chastest  bed  of  mine"  Sidney, 'Arcadia' p.  173.  IF  73  ANOYNTED:  it  is  not 
necessary  to  suppose  that  the  metaphor  is  confused  as  Delius  does:  "anointed"  is  used 
in  EL. E.  as  a  synonym  for  'consecrated,'  cp.  "Barring  the  anointed  liberty  of  laws" 
Daniel,  'Civil  War'. III. 23  (cited  by  N.E. D.).  The  word  has  a  peculiar  fitness  here  in  its 
reference  to  the  king  as  the  Lord's  anointed,  cp.  I  Sam. XXIV.  10  (CI.  Pr.).  Richard 
calls  himself  the   Lord's  an- 


ointed in  Rich. 3  IV.  4.  150 
(Herford).  SF  74  THE  LIFE 
O'TH' BUILDING  seems  to 
be  a  recollection  of  "  For  ye 
are  the  temple  of  the  living 
God"IICor.VI.l6(Cl.Pr.). 
To  "reave  of  life"  is  an  old 
association  in  English,  and 
Shakspere  makes  frequent 
use  of  it.  The  notion  of  the 
temple  and  the  "life  of  the 
building"  may  have  a  remote 
association  with  the  vestal 
fire.  Shakspere  speaks  of 
breaking  within  the  "bloody 
[z.e.  full  of  blood]  house  of 
life"  in  John  IV.  2.210,  and  of 


ACT  II 


SCENE  III 


74-78 


MACBETH 
What  is  Tt  you  say?  the  life? 

LENOX 
Meane  you  his  majestie? 

MACDUFF 

Approch  the  chamber,  and  destroy  your  sight 

With  a  new  Gorgon:  doe  not  bid  me  speake; 

See,  and  then  speake  your  selves.    Awake, 

awake ! 

EXEUNT  MACBETH  AND  LENOX 
76 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


the  "empty  casket  where  the  jewell  of  life  By  some  damn'd  hand  was  rob'd"  in  John  V. 
1.40.  SF  76  SIGHT  is  here  used  in  its  now  somewhat  restricted  sense  of  'power  of  see- 
ing.' SF  77  Shakspere  did  not  necessarily  draw  the  GORGON  notion  from  Ovid :  we  may 
surely  suppose  him  familiar  with  the  classic  mythology  of  his  time.     As  a  boy  at  school 

he  would  have  been   stupid 

ACT  II  SCENE  III  79-91 


Ring  the  alarum  bell !    Murther  and  treason ! 

Banquo  and  Donalbaine !  Malcolme !  awake ! 

Shake  off  this  downey  sleepe,  death's  coun- 
terfeit, 

And  looke  on  death  it  selfe!  up,  up,  and  see 

The  great  doomes  image!  Malcolme! 
Banquo! 

As  from  your  graves  rise  up,  and  walke  like 
sprights 

To  countenance  this  horror.    Ring  the  bell! 

BELL   RINGS.      ENTER   LADY   MACBETH 

LADY  MACBETH 
What  fs  the  businesse, 

That  such  a  hideous  trumpet  calls  to  parley 

The  sleepers  of  the  house?  speake,  speake! 

MACDUFF 

O  gentle  lady, 
fT  is  not  for  you  to  heare  what  I  can  speake: 
The  repetition  in  a  woman's  eare 
Would  murther  as  it  fell. 


indeed  if  he  had  not  known 
the  Medusa  fable,  and  the 
story  was  accessible  to  him 
in  almost  any  Latin  dictionary 
of  his  time. 


SF  79  The  castle  bell  sum- 
moned all  the  retainers  and 
servants,  cp.  V.5-5L  *ff8I 
Shakspere,  in  order  to  height- 
en the  horror  of  Macbeth's 
doom,  'sleep  no  more/  all 
through  this  play  introduces 
associations  of  softness  and 
quietness  when  speaking  of 
sleep,  even  when  such  notions 
are  unnatural  and  artificial 
as  here.  COUNTERFEIT, 
'portrait,' N.E.D. 3.  InWint. 
T.  V.3- 18  Paulina  with  the 
words  "prepare  To  see  the 
life  as  lively  mock'd  as  ever 
Still  sleepe  mock'd  death" 
draws  the  curtain  and  shows 
Hermione  standing  like  a 
statue.  *IF  83  IMAGE, 'repre- 
sentation,' cp.  "This  play  is 
the  image  of  a  murder  done 
in  Vienna"  Ham. III. 2.248. 
SF84  SPRIGHT  and  "spirit" 
are    different   forms    of    the 


same  word  in  EL.  E.  SF  85 
The  N.E. D.  takes  COUNTENANCE  here  as  meaning 'to  keep  in  countenance,'  a  sense  of 
the  word  for  which  this  passage  alone  is  cited ;  it  is  rather  the  appearance  and  actions  of 
Malcolm  and  Banquo  as  haunting  spirits,  and  not  the  persons  themselves,  that  Shakspere 
is  putting  before  the  mind;  so  the  word  may  have  the  meaning  given  in  N.E.  D.  4,  es- 
pecially that  illustrated  in  the  quotation  from  Laneham's  Letter,  "who  for  parsonage  [EL. 
form  of  'personage']  gesture  and  utterauns  beside  countenaunst  the  matter  too  ['to'] 
very  good  liking";  cp.,  too,  2Hen.4  IV.  1.35-  It  is  a  play  that  Macduff  is  thinking  of, 
and  he  adds  the  figure  as  he  calls  to  Malcolm  and  Banquo  and  Donalbaine  to  rise  from 
their  "downey  sleepe" — RISE  UP  is  used  as  in  "they  rose  up  early"  Mids.  IV.  1. 137; 
cp.  "the  graves  all  gaping  wide,  Every  one  lets  forth  his  spright"  Mids.  V.  1.387.  Mac- 
duff's words  may  contain  a  suspicion  that  Banquo  and  Malcolm  also  have  been  mur- 
dered. RING  THE  BELL  has  been  frequently  taken  by  editors  for  a  stage  direction  that 
has  slipped  into  the  text ;  but  the  words  may  well  be  a  natural  expression  of  impatience  at 
the  slowness  with  which  the  alarm  spreads  through  the  castle.  SF  86  BUSINESSE, 'com- 
motion,' 'tumult,'  cp.  N.E.  D.  7  b  and  its  citation  from  Holinshed,  "  Argudus  sent  forth  .  . 
with  a  power  to  appease  this  business."    This,  dated  1 587,  is  the  latest  quotation  in  N.  E.  D.  J 


77 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


but  in  Phr.  Gen.  (a  century  later)  "Business  or  trouble"  is  glossed  turbar  tumultus:  the 
same  gloss  occurs  in  Holyoke,  1677.  ^87  TO  PARLEY,  'to  conference* ;  cp.  "  Our  trum- 
pet call'd  you  to  this  gentle  parle"  John  11.205.  SF88  SPEAKE,  SPEAKE  !  Of  two  suc- 
ceeding imperatives  the  second  receives  a  heavier  stress  than  the  first,  so  the  verse  is  quite 
rhythmical,  though  Macduff's  words  make  it  one  of  six  waves.  SF90  REPETITION, 
'utterance,'  cp.  "  if  it  should  be  told  The  repetition  cannot  make  it  lesse"  Lucr.  1284,  the 
utterance  of  a  thought  being  conceived  as  a  repetition  of  its  form.  Macduff's  unsus- 
picious   concern    for    Lady 

ACT  II  SCENE  III 


Macbeth's  womanly  feelings 
heightens  the  interest  of  the 
situation. 


9 1  —  1 01 


SF93  SurelyIN  OUR  HOUSE 
may  be  taken  in  its  natural 
sense:  'What!  here  in  the 
midst  of  friends?  It  is  im- 
possible!' Lady  Macbeth's 
words,  thus  addressed  to 
Banquo,  are  probably  in- 
tended to  forestall  a  suspicion 
that  Duncan's  being  in  Mac- 
beth's house  had  anything  to 
do  with  his  murder.  Ban- 
quo's  TOO  CRUELL  ANY 
WHERE,  'a  deed  of  sav- 
agery even  if  committed  by 
his  enemies,'  answers  Lady 
Macbeth's  exclamation.  His 
epithet  CRUELL  in  MN.E. 
seems  weak;  but  in  EL. E. 
the  adjective  meant  'wild, 
fierce,  savage,'  N.  E.  D.  2.  SF  94 
PRYTHEE  and  "prethee" 
were  common  EL.  forms  of 
'pray  thee,'  the  diphthong  be- 
ing weakened  by  its  lack  of 
stress.     SF  95   The  difference 


ENTER   BANQUO 

O  Banquo,  Banquo! 
Our  royall  master  's  murther'd. 
LADY  MACBETH 

Woe,  alas! 
What,  in  our  house? 

BANQUO 

Too  cruell  any  where! 
Deare  Duff,  I  prythee  contradict  thy  selfe, 
And  say  it  is  not  so. 

ENTER   MACBETH,  LENOX,  AND   ROSSE 

MACBETH 
Had  I  but  dy'd  an  houre  before  this  chance, 
I  hadliVd  a  blessed  time;  for  from  this  instant 
There's  nothing  serious  in  mortalitie: 
All  is  but  toyes :  renowne  and  grace  is  dead ; 
The  wine  of  life  is  drawne,  and  the  meere  lees 
Is  left  this  vault  to  brag  of. 

ENTER  MALCOLME  AND  DONALBAINE 


between  an  entrance  and  a  re- 
entrance  is  not  noted  in  the  Folio  stage  directions.  Sr96  CHANCE  in  EL.  E.  often  means 
'misfortune,'  'calamity';  cp.  "Ah!  what  an  unkind  houre  Is  guiltie  of  this  lamentable 
chance!"  Rom.&Jul.  V.3.I45.  SF 98  SERIOUS,  'important," of  value';  cp.  "our  rash 
faults  Make  triviall  price  of  serious  things  we  have"  All 's  W.  V. 3.60.  SF  99  ALL, a  com- 
mon EL. E.  idiom  for  the  'sum  of  things,'  'everything.'  TOYES:  the  EL.  sense  of  the 
word  as  used  here  has  gone  over  to  MN.E.  'trifles,'  i.e.  meaningless  nothings ;  later  Mac- 
beth will  strangely  come  to  realize  the  truth  of  his  words,  "  Life  .  .  is  a  tale  Told  by  an 
ideot,  full  of  sound  and  fury,  Signifying  nothing"  V.5.26.  SF  100  LEES,  as  in  MN.E.,  is 
usually  plural,  but  Shakspere  has  used  it  here  as  a  collective  noun.  SF 101  VAULT  is 
here  used  in  a  double  sense,  'wine-vault'  and  'earth.'  SF  96  ff.  Such  highly  wrought  lan- 
guage as  Macbeth  employs  did  not  offend  Elizabethan  taste.  Hamlet,  in  1.5.29,  when  he 
hears  of  his  father's  murder,  declares  that  he  will  sweep  to  his  revenge  "with  wings  as 
swift  As  meditation  or  the  thoughts  of  love."  Othello,  V.  2.350,  declares  that  his  eyes, 
'subdued'  by  his  sorrows,  "Drops  teares  as  fast  as  th' Arabian  trees  Their  medicinable 
gumme."     Highly  wrought  phraseology  was  an  every-day  matter  in  the  Elizabethan  age. 

78 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBET1 

ACT  II  SCENE  III  102-119 


DONALBAINE 
What  is  amisse? 

MACBETH 
You  are,  and  doe  not  know't: 
The  spring,  the  head,  the  fountaine  of  your 

blood 
Is  stopt;   the  very  source  of  it  is  stopt. 

MACDUFF 
Your  royall  father  fs  murther'd. 
MALCOLME 

Oh,  by  whom? 
LENOX 
Those   of   his    chamber,  as   it   seem'd,  had 

done  't: 
Their  hands  and  faces  were  all  badg'd  with 

blood; 
So  were  their  daggers,  which   unwip'd  we 

found 
Upon  their  pillowes: 

They  star'd,  and  were  distracted ;  no  man's  life 
Was  to  be  trusted  with  them. 

MACBETH 
O,  yet  I  doe  repent  me  of  my  furie, 
That  I  did  kill  them. 

MACDUFF 

Wherefore  did  you  so? 
MACBETH 
Who  can  be  wise,   amaz'd,  temp'rate   and 

furious, 
Loyall  and  neutrall,  in  a  moment?   No  man: 
Th'  expedition  of  my  violent  love 
Out-run  the  pawser,  reason.     Here  lay  Dun- 
can, 
His  silver  skinne  lac'd  with  his  golden  blood, 
And  his  gash'd  stabs  look'd  like  a  breach  in 
nature 

79 


SF 102  AMISSE,  in  its  refer- 
ence to  Malcolm,  seems  to 
mean 'at  a  loss.' SF  103  HEAD, 
i.e.  fountainhead.  SF  105  Mal- 
colm's first  question  BY 
WHOM?  must  have  been  a 
shock  to  Macbeth.  SF  107 
BADG'D,  cp.  "  Steep'd  in  the 
colours  of  their  trade  "  v.  1 2 1 . 
SFIIO  DISTRACTED, 'mad,' 
'crazed,' 'insane,'  N.E.D.  5. 
SFII3  Something  in  Mac- 
beth's  manner  must  have 
aroused  Macduff's  suspicions 
to  make  him  put  this  direct 
question.  *]FlI4  Enough  of 
the  M.E.  meaning  of  'pru- 
dent,' 'having  presence  of 
mind,'  must  have  clung  to  the 
wordWISEin  EL.  E.  to  justify 
Macbeth's  contrasting  it  with 
"amaz'd."  Baret  gives  it  the 
meaning  sollers  as  well  as  sa- 
piens and prudens.  AMAZ'D, 
'dazed,'  'stupid,'  N.E.D.  I. 
TEMP'RATE,  i.e.  self-con- 
trolled. SFII5  NEUTRALL, 
'indifferent,'  cp.  "one  that  's 
of  a  newtrall  heart"  Lear  III. 
7.48.  IN  A  MOMENT,  i.e. 
at  the  same  instant.  '  Mo- 
ment '  in  MN.  E.  usually  means 
'a  brief  space  of  time'  as  dis- 
tinct from 'instant.'  In  EL.  E. 
"in  a  moment"  is  equiva- 
lent to  "in  the  twinkling  of 
an  eye"  as  the  Phr.  Gen. 
explains  it.  *ff  1 1 6  EXPEDI- 
TION, i.e.  haste,  swiftness. 
«ff  1 17  OUT-RUN  :  'run'  is  a 
regular  past  tense  of 'run'  in 
M.E.  and  EL.E.  PAWSER 
is  neither  a  noun  of  agent  in  -er 
meaning  'one  who  makes  to 
pause,'  nor  an  adjective  mean- 
ing 'slower,'  as  it  is  usually 
explained:  but  an  EL.  noun 
meaning  'loiterer,'  cp.  Cot- 
grave,  "musard,  a  pawser, 
lingerer,  deferrer,  delayer," 
and  "rumineur,  one  that  de- 
liberates or  pauses  on  a  mat- 
ter": Coles  also  glosses  "a 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

pauser  on    meditator";   and       ACT    J]  SCENE    III  120-124 

Hamlets     'must     give      us 

pawse,"   i.e.   must   make    us       o  .  »    (1  ,  , 

deliberate,  in.  1.68.     SFiis      For    ruines    wastfull    entrance:     there    the 

silver,  i.e.  pure  white,  cp.  murtherers, 

"silver  cheekes"  Lucr. .61.     Steep'd  in  the  colours  of  their  trade,  their 

1  he  word  still  means    white  ,r  7 

in  silver  maple,  silver  birch,  daggers 

silver  dawn,    lac'd:   Cot-      Unmannerly  breech'd  with  dore :  who  could 

grave  defines  chamare  "laced  r 

thick  all  over;    aslope,  ore-  retraine, 

crosse,  or  billetwise,"  show-  That  had  a  heart  to  love,  and  in  that  heart 
ing  that  the  word  refers  to     Courade  to  make's  love  knowne? 

reticulate    ornamentation    by  ° 

interlaced  bars  or  cords.     In 

Rom.&Jul.  III. 5.7,  "envious  streakes  Do  lace  the  severing  [i.e.  parting]  cloudes  in  yonder 
east,"  the  word  aptly  describes  the  effect  of  dawn  streaks  crossing  bars  of  low-lying  cirrus 
clouds.  GOLDEN,  'red,'  cp.  note  to  II. 2. 56  and  Lucr.  57  ff.  Macbeth's  words  with  their 
EL.  associations  are  not  artificial,  though  it  is  little  wonder  that  they  should  be  thought 
far  fetched  when  one  understands  "laced"  as  meaning  'covered  with  lace-work'  and  ignores 
the  association  of  redness  that  attached  to  "golden"  in  EL.  E.  With  such  an  interpretation 
one  can  sympathize  with  Johnson,  who,  with  his  usual  intolerance  of  what  he  could  not  un- 
derstand, and  in  despair  of  patching  the  verse  into  what  he  thought  good  English, — for  it 
is  a  difficult  line  to  amend,  as  Warburton's  'laqu'd'  for  '  laced'  clearly  shows, — pronounced 
the  passage  hopeless  and  not  to  be  amended  'but  by  a  general  blot.'  SF 119  NATURE, 
'life,'  as  frequently;  the  figure  seems  to  be  the  same  as  that  in  "  Poore  soule,  the  center 
of  my  sinfull  earth,  [Hemmed  by]  these  rebbell  powres  that  thee  array"  Sonn.  CXLVI.  I. 
*lr  120  WASTFULL  is  used  in  its  common  EL.  sense  of  'devastating,'  cp.  "When  waste- 
full  warre  shall  statues  overturne"  Sonn.  LV.5-  *ff  122  UNMANNERLY  BREECH'D 
WITH  GORE:  the  words  have  been  the  subject  of  much  controversy.  The  attempts  at 
explanation  worth  considering  are  (I)  that  Shakspere  thought  of  the  blades  of  the  daggers 
as  indecently  covered  with  blood  instead  of  properly  sheathed  in  their  scabbards  ;  (2)  that 
"breech"  is  used  for  'hilt'  in  EL.E. ;  and  (3)  that  the  phrase  is  misprinted.  In  making 
good  the  last  explanation  the  emendations  proposed  are  'unmanly  rech'd'  (explained  as 
meaning  'soiled  with  dark  yellow')  Warburton ;  'unmanly  drenched'  Johnson;  'unman- 
nerly hatched'  Seward;  'in  a  manner  lay  drenched'  Heath  (the  two  latter  are  good 
illustrations  of  the  emendatorial  instinct!);  'unmanly  breech'd'  T  ravers ;  etc.  If  the  ne- 
cessity for  emendation  is  once  granted  the  easiest  and  most  natural  word  for  Shakspere 
to  have  used  would  have  been  'imbrewed,'  cp.  Baret's  Alvearie,  "to  imbrue,  or  make  foule, 
to  smeere,  or  make  foule  round  about,  06/fno";  "to  imbrue  or  die  with  some  colour,  im- 
buo"  ;  "to  imbrue  his  handes  with  bloud,  sanguine  respergere  dextram."  Baret  also  gives 
"embrew,  ferrum  tingere  sanguine" ;  "all  bloudie,  all  embrewed  with  bloud,  perfusus 
cruore"  i  "to  embrew  the  harnesse  with  bloud";  "daughters  embrewed  with  the  bloud 
of  their  mother."  There  was  an  aphetic  form  of  the  word,  viz.  'brewed,'  'brued,'  'brude,' 
two  instances  of  which  are  cited  in  N.E.D.  from  literature  of  Shakspere'stime.  This'brew'd,' 
written  in  a  handwriting  in  which  the  right  arm  of  the  w  had  a  curving  ascender,  as,  e.g., 
in  Queen  Elizabeth's,  might  have  looked  like  'breech'd'  written  with  an  h  which  did  not 
go  below  the  line,  a  form  of  the  letter  not  unusual  in  EL.  manuscripts.  But  even  grant- 
ing this,  there  still  remains  the  fact  that  'unmannerly'  is  hardly  the  word  to  go  with 
'embrewed'  or  'brew'd.'  As  to  the  second  explanation:  there  is  no  evidence  that 
'breeched'  was  used  in  EL.  E.  for  the  hilt  of  a  dagger,  see  N.E.  D. ;  and  if  there  was, 
'hilted  with  gore'  would  of  itself  require  a  deal  of  explanation  to  make  it  intelligible. 
We  are  forced  to  conclude,  for  the  present  at  least,  that  the  words  are  as  Shakspere 

80 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

wrote  them.  The  "strippe  your  sword  starke  naked"  Tw.N.  III. 4. 274,  cited  by  Cl.Pr., 
presents  a  similar  figurative  phraseology,  though  one  not  so  violent  as  'breeched  with 
gore.'  "Breeches"  in  EL. E.  described  the  long  hose  of  the  time  as  well  as  that  part 
of  the  clothing  which  we  now  know  as  breeches.  Shakspere  has  used  the  florid  idiom  of 
EL.  E.  in  the  early  part  of  the  passage,  describing  Duncan's  appearance  in  terms  of  EL. 
dress ;  it  is  likely  that  he  would  continue  the  same  idiom  in  the  latter  part  of  his  contrast. 
UNMANNERLY  means  'boorish,'  'vulgar,'  'rustic,'  in  EL.E.  "Unmannerly  breech'd 
with  gore"  may  thus  easily  describe  the  lower  parts  of  the  daggers,  their  blades,  inde- 
cently and  only  partially  covered  with  clotted  blood  and  not  properly  clad  with  scabbards 
as  they  should  have  been.  As  we  have  already  pointed  out,  Shakspere  in  using  such 
highly  figurative  language  as  this  was  but  following  the  custom  of  his  time.  In  EL.E.  it 
was  scarcely  possible  to  think  at  all  without  falling  into  the  rich  idiom  then  current.  Even 
the  sober  writers  on  theology  constantly  employ  forms  of  expression  that  to  our  notions 
are  absurdly  and  grotesquely  overwrought.  Bacon,  accurate  and  scientific  as  he  is,  con- 
stantly employs  figurative  idiom  in  his  closest  reasoning.  Such  books,  too,  as  Spenser's 
Faerie  Queene,  Sidney's  Arcadia,  and  Lyly's  Euphues — very  gardens  of  florid  phrase- 
ology—  were  not  frowned  at,  but  considered  to  be  the  highest  literary  achievement  of  their 
time.  A  look  into  Puttenham  will  show  pages  of  prescription  in  which  these  usages  are 
reduced  to  classic  rule  and  method.  Shakspere,  it  is  true,  in  employing  figurative  lan- 
guage usually  weaves  it  into  his  thought  so  that  his  word  associations  are  rarely  far 
fetched  and  dear  bought ;  but  the  modern  editor  is  not  justified  in  botching  the  text  when- 
ever he  finds  a  figure  loose- 

APT     TT  SPFNF     ITT  T94      T9^       ly  thrown   into  the   context. 

A^  1      11  Sl^ClNC     111  124-1^5        <ff  124    MAKE'S, 'make  his,' 

another  of  those  enclitic  pro- 

LADY   MAC  BET  H  nominal  contractions  so  com- 

Helpe  me  hence,  hoa!       mon  in  EL.  E.,cp.  "betray 's" 

r  1.3.  I25,"under't"l.5.67,and 

MACDUFF  note  to  1.6.24. 

Looke  to  the  lady.  ,I24    The    faiming   fit  of 

Lady  Macbeth  interrupts  the 
dialogue  and  for  the  moment  throws  the  scene  into  confusion.  The  stage  business  must 
be  supplied  by  conjecture  from  the  context:  not  even  the  'Lady  Macbeth  is  carried  out' 
below  is  to  be  found  in  FO.  I,  and  Davenant  alters  the  action  entirely.  HELPE  ME 
HENCE  indicates  that  Lady  Macbeth  tries  to  get  away,  and  as  faintness  overpowers  her 
calls  for  her  servants.  Whether  she  succeeds  in  leaving  the  stage  or  not  would  probably 
depend  on  the  actors'  interpretation  of  the  scene ;  if  she  does  Macbeth  must  have  run  to 
her  assistance,  returning  in  v.  139,  and  Macduff's  and  Banquo's  LOOKE  TO  THE  LADY 
are  to  be  taken  as  directions  to  the  excited  servants  coming  on  the  stage  in  answer  to  the 
HOA !  If  Lady  Macbeth  swoons  upon  the  stage  Macbeth  and  the  others  surround  her 
and  carry  her  out,  Malcolm  and  Donalbaine  drawing  apart  and  conversing  with  one  an- 
other in  asides.  That  Lady  Macbeth  should  really  swoon, 'murdered  by  the  repetition  in 
her  woman's  ears'  of  the  ghastly  and  bloody  details  of  Duncan's  murder,  introduces  no 
inconsistency.  In  all  the  devilish  fury  of  her  purposes,  we  are  never  allowed  quite  to  forget 
that  she  is  a  woman.  Her  language  is  womanly  even  in  her  terrible  soliloquy,  and  her 
inability  wholly  to  control  her  sentiment  comes  clearly  forth  in  "  Had  he  not  resembled 
my  father  as  he  slept,  I  had  don  't."  Her  "undaunted  metal"  is  only  intellectual,  a  quick 
intelligence  and  a  shrewd  mind  grasping  a  situation  with  masculine  vigour:  emotionally 
she  is  still  the  woman.  That  Macbeth  should  not  take  part  in  the  dialogue  here  has  been 
over-subtly  construed  by  some  critics  as  an  evidence  of  his  indifference.  But  these 
critics  do  not  tell  us  what  Macbeth  should  have  said.  If  the  scene  is  naturally  construed 
surely  his  silence  means  the  very  opposite  of  indifference. 

81 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


<lrI26  MOST  is  used  in  its 
EL.  absolute  sense  and  corre- 
sponds to  MN.  E.  'best.'  AR- 
GUMENT, 'theme,'  'subject 
of  conversation,'  cp.  "could 
thou  and  I  rob  the  theeves 
.  .  it  would  be  argument  for 
a  weeke"  lHen.4  II.  2. 99. 
«IrI27  SHOULD  illustrates 
the  EL.  E.  and  M.E.  usage  of 
the  auxiliary  in  the  sense  of 
'can,'  'may,' expressing  pos- 
sibility from  a  subjective  point 
of  view;  MN.E.  uses  'may' 
in  this  idiom,  but  constantly 
confuses  it  with 'can,'  despite 
grammatical  injunctions ;  cp. 
"What  should  he  be?"  i.e. 
'Who  may  he  be?'  IV.3.49, 
and  "  Where  shold  this  musick 
be?"  i.e.  'Where  can  it  be?' 
'Where  are  we  to  look  for 
it?'  Temp.  1.2.  387.  FATE, 
as  in  "  If  to  my  sword  his  fate 
be  not  the  glory"  Tro.&Cr. 
IV.  1.26,  is  here  used  in  its 
sense  of  '.death,'  'ruin.' 
Staunton's  emendation  'hide 
we  in  an  auger-hole'  in  order 
to  avoid  the  notion  of  '  Fate 
lying  perdu  in  an  auger-hole' 
is  therefore  quite  unneces- 
sary. SF  128  The  EL.  word 
AUGURE  HOLE,  like  MN.E. 
'knot-hole,' denotedany  small 
orifice,  cp.  "To  creep  into 
an  auger-hole  to  hide  their 
heads"  Dent,  1 60 1,  cited  in 
N.  E.  D.,  and  "the  like  illu- 
sion is  of  their  phantasie  in 
.  .  creeping  thorow  augur- 
holes"  Jonson's  Masque  of 
Queenes,  note  in  ed.  1640,  p. 
169;  "augor's  boare"  is  used 


ACT  II 


SCENE  III 


125-138 


MALCOLME 

ASIDE  TO   DONALBAINE 

Why  doe  we  hold  our  tongues, 
That  most  may  clayme  this  argument  for 
ours? 

DONALBAINE 

ASIDE  TO   MALCOLME 

What  should  be  spoken  here,  where  our  fate, 
Hidinan  augure  hole,  may  rush  and  seize  us? 
Let  us  away;  our  teares  are  not  yet  brew'd. 

MALCOLME 

ASIDE  TO   DONALBAINE 

Nor   our   strong    sorrow   upon  the   foot   of 

motion.  130,  131 
BANQUO 

Looke  to  the  lady:  131 

LADY   MACBETH    IS   CARRIED   OUT 

And  when  we  have  our  naked  frailties  hid, 
That  suffer  in  exposure,  let  us  meet, 
And  question  this  most  bloody  piece  of  worke, 
To  know  it  further.     Feares  and   scruples 

shake  us: 
In  the  great  hand  of  God  I  stand,  and  thence 
Against  the  undivulg'd  pretence  I  fight 
Of  treasonous  mallice. 


MACDUFF 

And  so  doe  I. 
ALL 


So  all. 


in  the  same  way  in  Cor.  IV. 
6.  87  (cited  by  Steevens).  *fF  129  For  LET  US  PO.I  reads  "  Let 's."  The  verse  division  of 
FO.  I  for  vv.  127  to  1 30  is  What  .  .  here,  Where  .  .  hole,  May  .  .  away,  Our  .  .  brew'd, 
Nor  .  .  sorrow,  Upon  .  .  motion.  Modern  editors  usually  make  two  verses  of  Let's 
away,  Our  .  .  brew'd.  But  by  reading  "Let  us"  as  in  the  text  the  broken  verses  dis- 
appear. For  SORROW  as  a  monosyllable,  cp.  "follow"  in  1.6.  II  ;  words  ending  in  -ow 
had  monosyllabic  forms  in  e.N.E.,  and  many  of  them  seem  to  be  so  used  in  EL.  poetry. 
The  'brewing'  of  rain  and  showers  is  not  an  uncommon  figure  in  M.E.  and  e.N.E.,  and 
such  an  extension  of  the  notion  as  the  'brewing  of  tears'  is  not  unnatural  in  EL. E.     It 

82 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


occurs  also  in  Titus  III.  2.  38  (cited  by  Delius).  STRONG  in  EL.  E.  often  connotes  what 
in  MN.E.  would  be  described  as  'violent.'  UPON  THE  FOOT  OF  is  an  EL.  phrase  mean- 
ing 'ready  to  start  upon/  see  N.E.D.s.u.  'foot'  29;  MOTION  is  used  by  Malcolm  in  its 
EL.  psychological  meaning  of  'expression/  cp.  "in  thy  face  strange  motions  have  ap- 
pear'd"  lHen.4  II.  3-63.  SFI32  NAKED  FRAILTIES  is  probably  a  reference  to  the 
effect  of  the  morning  chill  upon  the  half-clad  actors  in  the  scene ;  but  Banquo's  words 
may  have  a  deeper  application,  since  "naked  frailty"  also  means  'unprotected  weakness'; 
see  N.E. D.  'frailty' — 'exposure  to  the  undivulged  pretence  of  treasonous  malice'  as  well 
as  to  cold.  For  HID  in  the  sense  of  'shielded/  'protected/  cp.  "having  nothing  but  a 
cote  of  thatch  to  hide  them  from  heaven"  Bishop  Hall,  1 6 14  (cited  in  N.  E.  D.  I  b).  SF  134 
QUESTION, 'inquire  into/  as  in  1. 3-43-  SF  135  SCRUPLES  in  EL.E.  means  'doubts' 
or  'anxieties'  of  any  sort,  and  is  not  restricted  to  those  of  conscience.  *lr  136  IN  THE 
GREAT  HAND  OF  GOD:   Shakspere  evidently  had  in  mind  I  Pet.  V.  6  f  f . :    "Humble 

your  selves  therefore  under 

ACT  II  SCENE  III 


139-147 

MACBETH 
Let  rs  briefely  put  on  manly  readinesse, 
And  meet  i'  th'  hall  together. 

ALL 

Well  contented. 

EXEUNT  ALL  BUT  MALCOLME  AND  DONALBAINE 


the  mighty  hand  of  God,  . 
casting  all  your  care  upon 
him,  for  hee  careth  for  you. 
Bee  sober, be  vigilant :  because 
your  adversary,  the  devil,  as 
a  roaring  lion  walketh  about 
seeking  whom  he  may  de- 
voure."  SFI37  PRETENCE, 
'intention/  'purpose/  cp. 
"the  pretence  whereof  [i.e. 
the  treason]  being  by  circum- 
stances partly  layd  open  [i.e. 
divulged]"  Wint.T.  III.  2.  18, 
and  "  Fair  knight,  .  .  what 
is  your  pretence?"  Halle, 
'Chronicle/  Hen.  VIII,  4. 
*ff  138  TREASONOUS  is  here 
syncopated  to  'treas'nous.' 


MALCOLME 
What  will  you  doe?    Let 's  not  consort  with 

them: 
To  shew  an  unfelt  sorrow  is  an  office 
Which  the  false  man  do's  easie.     Fie  to  Eng- 
land. 

DONALBAINE 
To  Ireland  I;   our  seperated  fortune 

Shall  keepe  us  both   the  safer:    where  we     put  on  thy  defences.    Eros 

r  Briefely,  sir"  Ant.&Cl.  IV.  4 

are 

There  's  daggers  in  men's  smiles:  the  neere 

in  blood, 

The  neerer  bloody. 


SF  139  BRIEFELY,  'without 
delay/  a  common  EL.  mean- 
ing of  the  word,  cp.  N.E.D. 
2,  which   cites:     uJlnt.    Go 


10.  MANLY  READINESSE: 
'ready'  in  EL.E.  was  closely 
associated  with  apparel,  cp. 
"  Enter  severall  wayes  Bas- 
tard, Alanson,  Reignier,  halfe 
ready  and  halfe  unready" 
stage  direction  to  I  Hen. 6  II.  1.39  (cited  by  Cl.Pr.).  The  gloss  of  Phr.Gen.  "in  readi- 
ness, alte  prcecinctus  eit"  is  another  instance  in  point.  But  even  without  this  associa- 
tion the  phrase  is  clear,  cp.  "put  we  on  Industrious  souldiership"  V.4.  I5f  "She  puts 
on  outward  strangenesse"  Ven.&Ad.  310,  "put  on  feare"  C32s.L3.6O,  and  "Put  on 
what  weary  negligence  you  please"  Lear  1.3. 12.  *ff  140  CONTENTED  in  EL.E.  means 
'agreed' as  well  as  'satisfied';  the  king  plays  on  the  double  meaning  of  the  word  in 
Rich. 2  IV.  1.200:  ucBull.  Are  you  contented  to  resigne  the  crowne?  (Rich.  I  [i.e.  aye], 
no;  no,  I."      *ff  142    OFFICE,  'performance  of  duty/  cp.  "you  have  shewne  your  father 

83 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

A  child-like  office"  Lear  II.  1. 107.  *ff  143  FALSE  in  this  sense  of 'treacherous' as  an 
attribute  of  persons  is  now  usually  strengthened  by  '-hearted.'  EASIE  is  the  EL.  adverb 
form  without  -ly.  As  has  already  been  pointed  out,  the  omission  of  the  verb  in  expres- 
sions denoting  motion  is  common  in  EL.  syntax;  cp.  also  11.4-35  ff.  SF  146  THERE'S 
is  EL.  syntax  by  which  a  singular  verb  agrees  with  a  plural  subject.  THE  .  .  THE  is  a 
correlative  idiom,  descended  from  the  O.  E.  instrumental  case,  still  in  use  in  MN.E.  com- 
parisons with  the  sense  of  'by  how  much  .  .  by  so  much.'  NEERE  is  an  e.  N.  E.  compara- 
tive form  which  survived  from  M.  E.  and  means  'nearer':  cp.  Heywood's  proverb,  "the 
neare  to  the  churche,  the  furder  from  God''  Sp.  Soc.,p.  152.  The  whole  expression 
seems  to  have  been  prover- 

"  Netef^^ody  £$&       ACTI1  SCENEIII  147-153 

[i.e.    purposes]    and   not    in 

blood"  Rich.3  II.  1.92.  MALCOLME 

This  murtberous  shaft  that  ?s  shot 

SFI49    AVOID    THE    AYME,        tt    .1  .  1.  ,1    .      11  r      . 

'get    away   from    the   mark/        Hath   not  Yet  lighted,  and  OUT  safest  way 

n.e.d. 6;cp. "a garish flagge      Is  to  avoid  the  ayme.     Therefore  to  horse; 

To  betheayme  of  every  dan-       And  j   t  t  be  daintie  of  leave-taking 

cferous  shot     Rich.3  IV.4. 89  :  <-> 

nearness  of  kin  to  Duncan  But  shift  away :  there 's  warrant  in  that  theft 
and  not  to  Macbeth  is  the     Which  steales  it  selfe  when  there's  no  mercie 

ground  of  Malcolm's  dread.  1    p 

Despite  Shakspere's  marvel- 

lous  skill  in  the  development  EXEUNT 

of  his  theme,  modern  editors 

will  have  it  that  this  remark  of  Malcolm's  —  indeed  the  whole  scene  —  reveals  a  universal 
suspicion  of  Macbeth,  the  fastening  of  which  upon  him  is  avoided  only  by  the  timely 
fainting  fit  of  Lady  Macbeth.  But  we  must  remember  that  only  Banquo  is  in  a  position 
to  suspect  the  real  author  of  the  crime,  and  he  cannot  bring  himself  definitely  to  avow, 
even  in  soliloquy,  aught  more  than  vague  suspicion ;  he  has  been  too  much  impressed  by 
the  witches'  prophecy  as  it  concerns  himself  to  resist  the  course  of  events,  cp.  III.  1. 1  ff. 
And  Macbeth  in  III.  1.48  ff.  does  not  so  much  fear  Banquo's  suspicion  as  he  does  the 
fulfilment  of  the  witches'  prophecy  that  makes  Banquo  the  father  of  a  line  of  kings.  It 
is  the  doubtful  joy  of  his  success  as  tainted  by  this  thought  that  nerves  him  to  the  new 
murder.  SFI50  LEAVE-TAKING  seems  to  have  had  the  word  stress  upon  its  second 
member  in  EL.E.  SFI5I  SHIFT  is  glossed  evado  in  Coles,  cp.  "Oh  Mistris,  Mistris, 
shift  and  save  your  selfe"  Err.  V.  1. 1 68 ;  it  was  also  a  euphemism  for  practising  knavery, 
cp.  MerryW.  1.3-37,  hence  the  turn  of  Malcolm's  words  which  follow.  The  same  notion 
occurs  in  All'sW.  II.  1. 33  (cited  by  Delius) :  '"Ber.  By  heaven!  I 'le  steale  away.  /  Lord. 
There's  honour  in  the  theft";  cp.  also  Sonn.  XCII.  I. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  IV 

This  closing  scene*  of  Act  II  is  not  really  a  part  of  the  play's  dramatic  action,  but  rather 
serves  the  purpose  of  a  chorus,  bridging  over  the  gap  between  Act  II,  which  leaves  Mac- 
beth having  successfully  accomplished  the  murder,  and  Act  III,  which  presents  him  in 
the  full  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  crime.  It  has  a  double  and  typical  chorus  theme, 
narrating  how  the  bloody  act  affects  the  powers  above  and  how  it  affects  men  below  — 
the  divine  and  the  human  aspects  of  the  tragedy.  The  first  theme  is  unfolded  in  vv.  1-20, 
the  second  in  vv.  21-41.     Intervening  thus  between  the  two  chief  divisions  of  the  tragedy, 

84 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

the  bloody  deed  and  the  retribution,  it  binds  them  together,  furnishing  an  epilogue  to 
Act  II  and  a  prologue  to  Act  III.  In  its  epilogue  character  it  reflects  the  apparent  suc- 
cess of  Macbeth's  plot ;  in  its  prologue  character  it  forecasts  the  retribution  of  the  powers 
of  heaven  through  their  agent  Macduff.  In  its  latter  aspect  it  contrasts  with  the  prologue 
scene  to  the  first  part  of  the  play,  whose  theme  was  the  powers  of  darkness  brooding  over 
the  action  of  the  tragedy. 


SCENE  IV:  OUTSIDE  MACBETH'S  CASTLE 
ENTER  ROSSE  WITH  AN  OLD  MAN 


I  — 10 


OLD  MAN 
HREESCORE  and  ten  I  can  re- 
member well : 
Within  the  volume  of  which  time 

I  have  seene 
Houres     dreadfull     and     things 
strange;   but  this  sore  night 
Hath  trifled  former  knowings. 

ROSSE 

Ha,  good  father, 
Thou  seest  the  heavens,  as  troubled  with 

man's  act, 
Threatens  his  bloody  stage:  by  th' clock  't  is 

And  yet  darke  night  strangles  the  travailing 

lampe: 
I  s  't  night's  predominance, or  the  dayes  shame, 
That  darknesse   does  the  face  of  earth   in- 

tombe, 
When  living  light  should  kisse  it? 

Pr.)  ;  the  substantive  is  evi- 
dently founded  on  'know'  in  the  sense  of  'to  experience'  N.E.D. 5  c,  as  is  EL.  "hav- 
ings" from  'have.'  FATHER  is  still  a  term  of  respect,  less  familiar  than  'uncle,'  applied 
to  an  old  man;  Menenius  says,  "He  call'd  me  father,"  in  Cor.  V.I.  3>  cp.  N.E.D.  8. 
*ff  5  SEEST  in  e.N.  E.  is  a  monosyllable  regularly  developed  from  M.E.  "sest":  'se-est' 
is  a  modern  form.  Rosse's  thought,  like  Macbeth's  in  1.3. 127  ff.,  is  couched  in  the  tech- 
nical language  of  the  theatre.  The  canopy  of  the  stage  in  the  EL.  theatre  was  called 
the  HEAVENS,  see  N.E.D. s.v.8.  The  fact  that  the  stage  was  hung  with  black  for  the 
performance  of  tragedies — cp.  "  Blacke  stage  for  tragedies  and  murthers  fell"  Lucr.  766 — 
explains  Rosse's  allusion  to  the  darkness.  ACT  in  EL.  E.  often  corresponds  to  MN.  E. 
'action,'  'activity,'  a  meaning  still  preserved  in  'act  of  God,'  cp.  N.E.D.  4.  IF  6  The 
THREATENS  of  FO.  I  is  altered  by  modern  editors  to  'threaten'  in  order  to  make  Shak- 

85 


*ff  I  A  similar  ellipsis  occurs 
in  2Hen.4  III.  2.  51  ff . :  "a 
[i.e.  he]  would  have  clapt  in 
the  clowt  [i.e.  hit  the  nail]  at 
twelve-score  [i.e.  yards],  and 
carryed  you  a  fore-hand  shaft 
at  foureteene  [z.e.  fourteen 
score  yards]  and  foureteene 
and  a  halfe."  While  still  fre- 
quent in  MN.  E.  in  giving  time, 
age,  or  date,  it  would  not  now 
be  employed  in  such  an  idiom 
as  this.  SF3  SORE,  'griev- 
ous': this  original  sense  of 
the  word  is  now  obsolete 
save  in  'sore  trouble.'  SF4 
TRIFLED,  'made  a  jest  of,' 
cp."  Howdothe  oure  bysshop 
trifle  and  mock  us  "  Berners's 
Froissart  I.cc.  (quoted  by 
Cent.  Diet.).  But  in  this 
sense  the  word  is  rare  and 
a  nonce-usage  in  Shakspere. 
KNOWINGS,  not'knowledge ' 
but  'experiences,'  cp.  "gen- 
tlemen of  your  knowing" 
Cym.  I.  4.  29    (cited   by    CI. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


spere  conform  to  MN.  rules  of  grammar;  but  "heavens"  seems  sometimes  to  have  been  a 
collective  noun  in  EL.E.,  cp.  IV. 3- 23 1.  SF  7  LAMPE,  i.e.  the  sun,  cp.  N.E.  D.  2,  especially 
the  quotation  from  Dunbar :  "  Phebus  the  radius  [i.e.  radiant]  lamp  diurn."  The  notion 
occurs  also  in  3Hen.6  II.  1.3 1?  "one  lampe,  one  light,  one  sunne."  The  association  of 
the  TRAVAILING  sun  is  not  an  unusual  one  in  Shakspere  and  contemporary  poets,  cp. 
"Now  is  the  sun  upon  the  highmost  hill  Of  this  daies  journey"  Rom.&Jul.  II.  5.  9;  the 
"weary  sun"  occurs  several  times  in  Shakspere.  Dyce  cites  Drayton,  'Elegies/  p.  185, 
ed.  1627:  "nor  regard  him  [i.e.  the  sun]  travelling  the  signes,"  and  adds  that  the  notion 
is  traceable  to  Ps.XIX.5 — rather  to  Ps.XIX.6:  "His  going  foorth  is  from  the  ende 
of  the  heaven,  and  his  circuite  unto  the  endes  of  it."  Travel,  'to  go  on  a  journey/ 
and  travail,  'to  toil/  were  not  distinguished  by  different  spellings  until  after  Shakspere's 
time.  SF8  PREDOMINANCE,  'astrological  influence/  cp.  "  Fooles  by  heavenly  compul- 
sion, knaves,  theeves,  and  treachers  by  sphericall  predominance,  drunkards,  lyars,  and 
adulterers  by  an  enfore'd  obedience  of  planatary  influence"  Lear  1.2. 132  ff.  Rosse's 
thought  is  '  Does  the  baleful 

ACT  II  SCENE  IV 


influence  of  night  still  domi- 
nate the  world,  or  is  the  day 
ashamed  of  the  deeds  of 
darkness?' 


10-20 

OLD  MAN 

'T  is  unnaturall, 
Even  like  the  deed  that 's  done.    On  Tuesday 

last 
A  faulcon  towring  in  her  pride  of  place 
Was  by  a  mowsim*  owle  hawkt  at  and  kilFd. 

ROSSE 
And  Duncan's  horses  —  a  thing  most  strange 

and  certaine  — 
Beauteous  and  swift,  the  minions  of  their 

race, 
Turn'd  wilde  in  nature,  broke  their  stalls, 

flons*  out, 
Contending  'gainst  obedience,  as  they  would 
Make  warre  with  mankinde. 

OLD  MAN 

'T  is  said  they  eate  each  other.  18 

ROSSE 

They  did  so. 

To  thr  amazement  of  mine  eyes  that  look'd 

upon  't.  19. 20 


<ff  10  UNNATURALL,  'un- 
nat'ral/  cp.  note  to  I.  2. 51; 
the  word  means  contrary  to 
the  laws  of  nature,  cp.  for  a 
similar  double  meaning  "Thy 
deeds  inhumane  and  unnat- 
urall  Provokes  this  deluge 
most  unnaturall"  Rich. 3  I. 
2.60.  *ff  1 1  EVEN  LIKE,  i.e. 
'e'en  like/  'just  like';  the 
word  is  really  a  compound 
adjective,  M.E.'evenlik.'  SF  12 
FAULCON  :  the  diphthong  is 
due  to  the  development  in 
EL.E.  of  u  before  /  followed 
by  a  consonant  and  gives 
MN.  E.  'folcon '  (the  first  sylla- 
ble rhyming  with 'ball')  ;  'fael- 
con'  is  due  to  an  attempt  to 
pronounce  f-a-1-c-o-n.  TOWR- 
ING  is  a  technical  term  of 
falconry  denoting  the  rising 
of  the  hawk  just  before  strik- 
ing her  game,  cp.  2Hen.6  II. 
1. 1  ff.,  especially  v.  10,  "  My 
lord  Protector's  hawkes  doe 
towre  so  well "  ;  cp.  also  "  she 
towreth,  insurgit"  Holyoke 
s.v.  'hawk' — all  the  verbs  Holyoke  notes  as  applicable  to  falconry  are  introduced  by  'she.' 
PLACE,  likewise,  denotes  the  hawk's  highest  pitch  in  soaring,  cp.  "She  made  the  height 
of  the  moone  the  place  of  her  flight,"  "he  [i.e.  the  "tassel  gentle"]  never  ceased  in  his 
circular  motion  untill  he  had  recovered  his  place"  Nash's  Quaternio,  1633  (cited  in 
Drake's  Shakspeare  and  his  Times,  p.  127),  and  "A  tiercel  gentle  .  .  In  such  a  place  flies 

86 


fV 


J 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


as  he  seems  to  say  'see  me,  or  see  me  not!'"  Massinger's  Guardian,  I.  I  (also  cited  by 
Drake).  SF  1 3  The  low-flying  MOWSING  OWLE  is  contrasted  with  the  soaring  falcon. 
HAWKT  AT,  'attacked/  'pounced  upon,'  N.E.D.3-  SF  14  HORSES:  the  regular  O.E. 
and  M.E.  plural  'hors'  survived  in  e.  N.E.,  see  N.E.  D.  lb;  the  monosyllable  is  still 
used  in  MN.E.  when  we  say  'a  troop  of  fifty  horse,'  and  it  is  possible  that  this  mono- 
syllabic form  was  here  intended  by  Shakspere,  though  the  extra  syllable  before  the 
caesural  pause  is  not  an  uncommon  characteristic  of  EL.  and  M.E.  versification.  CER- 
TAIN E,  'infallible  as  an  omen,'  N.E.D.  2,  cp.  "that  will  not  let  you  Beleeve  things  certaine" 
Temp.  V.  124.  SF  15  MINIONS,  'darlings,'  cp.  1.2.  19;  the  word  refers  to  the  esteem 
in  which  the  animals  were  held.  SF 16  NATURE:  the  word  is  used  as  in  III. 4. 30  to 
denote  the  essential  characteristics  of  an  animal.  ^  18  EATE  is  the  EL.  form  of  the 
past  tense,  still  in  use  with  shortened  vowel,  'et,'  side  by  side  with  another  past-tense  form 
'ate.'  As  one  of  its  common  senses  is  to  'gnaw  upon,'  'feed  upon,'  the  absurdity  of  the 
horses  consuming  one  another  is  only  apparent.    The  portents  which  Shakspere  here  refers 

to  are  described   in   Holins- 


ACT  II 


SCENE  IV 


20-27 


ENTER  MACDUFFE 

Heere  comes  the  good  Macduffe. 
How  goes  the  world,  sir,  now? 
MACDUFFE 

Why,  see  you  not? 
ROSSE 
Is  't  known  who  did  this  more  then  bloody 
deed? 

MACDUFFE 
Those  that  Macbeth  hath  slaine. 
ROSSE 

Alas,  the  day! 
What  good  could  they  pretend? 
MACDUFFE 

They  were  subborned: 
Malcolme  and   Donalbaine,  the  king's  two 

sonnes, 
Are  stolne  away  and  fled,  which  puts  upon 

them 
Suspition  of  the  deed. 


hed's  account  of  the  murder 
of  King  Duff:  "Forthe  space 
of  six  moneths  togither  after 
this  heinous  murther  thus 
committed,  there  appeered  no 
sunne  by  day,  nor  moone  by 
night  in  anie  part  of  the  realme, 
but  still  was  the  skie  covered 
with  continuall  clouds,  and 
sometimes  such  outragious 
winds  arose,  with  lightenings 
and  tempests,  that  the  people 
were  in  great  feare  of  present 
distruction.  .  .  Monstrous 
sights  also  that  were  seene 
within  the  Scottish  kingdome 
thatyeere  werethese :  horsses 
in  Louthian,  being  of  singular 
beautie  and  swiftnesse,  did 
eate  their  owne  flesh,  and 
would  in  no  wise  taste  anie 
other  meate.  .  .  There  was 
a  sparhawke  also  strangled 
by  an  owle."  SF  18  ff.  The 
verses  are  divided  as  in  F0. 1. 
For  "mankinde"  see  note  to 
II.  1.49- 


<ff2I  HOW  GOES  THE 
WORLD  is  aa  EL.  conven- 
tional expression  meaning 
'What  's  the  news?'  as  in 
Tarn,  of  Shr.  IV.  1.35  (cited  by  Delius) ;  in  Phr.  Gen.  it  is  translated  by  quid  novi.  SF  24 
GOOD, 'advantage.'  PRETEND  is  used  in  its  common  EL.  sense  of  'aim  at,' cp.  II.  3. 137. 
SUBBORNED  is  now  usually  restricted  to  false  swearing,  'subornation  of  perjury,'  but  in 
EL.  E.  it  was  applied  to  the  instigation  of  any  form  of  crime,  cp.  "  Dighton  and  Forrest, 
whom  I  did  suborne  to  do  this  peece  of  ruthfull  butchery,  .  .  Melted  with  tendernesse" 
Rich.3  IV.  3. 4. 

87 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


<ff27  Modern  editors  alter  the 
comma  of  FO.  I  after  STILL 
to  a  colon  ;  but  'GAINST  NA- 
TURE STILL,  i.e.  'always 
violating  natural  instincts,' 
seems  to  be  a  part  of  the  apos- 
trophe carried  out  by  "raven 
up  thine  owne  lives  meanes." 
<ff  28  THRIFTLESSEinEL.E. 
means '  greedy '  as  well  as '  im- 
provident/ Rosse  says  that 
the  sons  could  not  wait  for  the 
course  of  nature  to  make  them 
kings,  and  now  their  guilty 
flight  has  deprived  them  of 
ever  attaining  to  the  sover- 
eignty. RAVEN  UP,  'de- 
vour': "[fast  days]  are  of 
a  Flemish  breed,  I  am  sure 
on  't,  for  they  ravin  up  more 
butter  than  all  the  dayes  of  the 
week  besides"  Every  Man 
in  his  Humour  III. 4.  SF  29 
MEANES  is  often  singular  in 
EL.E.,  and  is  applied  to  per- 
sons in  a  wide  range  of  con- 
notation, including  'medium,' 
'agent,'  'instrument,' etc., cp. 
"And  make  the  Douglas 
sonne  your  onely  meane  For 
powres  in  Scotland"  I  Hen. 4 
1. 3. 261.  SF  3 1  SCONE  was 
the  ancient  seat  of  the  Scottish 
kings,  and  thither  they  rode 
"for  to  be  set  in  kingis  stole, 
and  to  be  king."  The  seat  of 
the  "kingis  stole"  was  the 
stone  of  Scone,  which  was 
carried  to  England  by  Ed-' 
ward  I  in  1 296.  SF  33  COLME- 
KILL  is  Iona:  Shakspere  in 
his  mention  of  Scone  and 
Colmekill  as  being  respec- 
tively the  place  of 'investiture' 
and  the  burial-place  of  Dun- 
can's 'predecessors'  follows 
Holinshed;     but    Holinshed 


ACT  II 


SCENE   IV 


27-41 


ROSSE 

'Gainst  nature  still, 
Thriftlesse  ambition,  that  will  raven  up 
Thine  owne  lives  meanes!    Then  't  is  most 

like 
The  soveraignty  will  fall  upon  Macbeth. 

MACDUFFE 
He  is  already  nam'd,  and  gone  to  Scone 
To  be  invested. 

ROSSE 

Where  is  Duncan's  body? 
MACDUFFE 
Carried  to  Colmekill, 

The  sacred  store-house  of  his  predecessors 
And  guardian  of  their  bones. 
ROSSE 

Will  you  to  Scone? 
MACDUFFE 
No,  cosin,  He  to  Fife. 

ROSSE 

Well,  I  will  thither. 
MACDUFFE 
Well  may  you  see  things  wel  done  there: 

adieu! 
Least  our  old  robes  fit  easier  then  our  new ! 

ROSSE 
Farewell,  father. 

OLD   MAN 
God's  benyson  go  with  you,  and  with  those 
That  would  make  good  of  bad  and  friends 
of  foes. 

EXEUNT  OMNES 


does  not  mention  the  fact  that 
it  was  at  Iona  that  the  records  of  the  ancient  kings  were  kept.  Shakspere  seems  to  have 
been  familiar  with  the  fact,  however,  and  also  with  the  'sacred'  estimation  in  which  the 
place  was  held  from  its  connection  with  St.  Columba.  SF  36  FIFE  was  the  seat  of  Mac- 
duff. SF  37  There  seems  to  be  a  play  intended  on  the  word  WELL  as  in  IV.  3«  177,  where 
Rosse  informs  Macduff  that   Macbeth  has  murdered  his  wife  and  children ;  but  modern 

88 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

editors  insert  a  comma  after  the  first  WELL.  Rosse  later  joins  Macduff's  party,  but  for  the 
present  remains  with  Macbeth;  doubtless,  therefore,  the  old  man's  words  in  v. 41  are  in- 
tended as  an  explanation  of  the  part  he  is  to  take  in  the  action  immediately  subsequent. 
Macduff's  ADIEU,  etc.,  seems  to  be  tantamount  to  '  Farewell !  I  fear  lest  we  begin  to  talk 
treason,  for  I  cannot  shift  my  allegiance  so  easily  as  you  do.'  The  FO.  spelling  LEAST 
is  that  of  the  word  before  its  long  open  e  was  shortened  to  its  MN.E.  form. 


As  Act  I  had  for  its  theme  the  purpose  or  "thought"  of  Duncan's  murder,  so  Act  II  has 
for  its  subject  the  achievement  of  the  purpose.  In  the  first  act  it  was  the  subjective 
interests  of  this  thought  that  we  had  before  us :  its  incipiency  as  a  fatal  decree  of  the 
powers  of  darkness,  its  effect  upon  Macbeth  and  upon  Lady  Macbeth,  the  boding  shadow 
it  casts  upon  Banquo.  In  this  act  the  objective  aspects  of  the  murder  are  presented  — 
the  great  fact  and  its  immediate  consequence — Scene  I  representing  the  action  imme- 
diately preparatory,  Scene  II  the  act  itself,  Scene  III  Malcolm  and  Donalbaine  fixing  the 
guilt  on  themselves  by  their  flight,  Scene  IV  the  consequent  accession  of  Macbeth  (repre- 
sented in  narrative).  These  first  two  acts,  therefore,  present  the  involution  of  the  tragedy 
whose  evolution  lies  in  the  vengeance  of  heaven  for  a  foul  crime  instigated  by  the  powers 
of  evil  and  perpetrated  by  Macbeth  and  Lady  Macbeth  under  the  control  of  demoniacal 
agents.  As  has  already  been  pointed  out,  the  division  between  the  two  parts  of  the  play 
is  marked  by  a  short  scene  which  takes  the  place  of  a  chorus. 

Historically  considered,  Acts  III,  IV,  and  V  cover  a  period  of  seventeen  years,  the 
duration  of  Macbeth's  reign,  at  least  ten  years  of  which  were,  according  to  Holinshed, 
marked  by  a  vigorous  and  righteous  administration  of  the  government,  the  king  "govern- 
ing the  realme  for  the  space  of  ten  yeares  in  equall  justis."  After  this  period  he  begins 
to  dread  the  accession  of  Banquo's  line  and  murders  him.  The  interval,  therefore,  be- 
tween the  two  acts  is  at  least  ten  years.  But  Shakspere,  with  his  great  power  of  lending 
dramatic  unity  to  a  long  series  of  connected  events  only  a  few  of  which  he  seizes  on  to 
represent  his  subject,  gives  this  time  interval  a  certain  vagueness,  so  that  Act  III  is  really 
continuous  with  Act  II,  sometimes  reflecting  the  long  historical  interval,  sometimes  the 
short  psychological  interval.  In  this  way  he  keeps  ever  before  us  the  central  figure,  Mac- 
beth, and  the  central  theme,  his  insanity. 


89 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


THE    THIRD    ACT 

SCENE  I:  FORRES:  THE  PALACE 
ENTER  BANOUO 


I  — 13 


BANQUO 
HOU  hast  it  now,  king,  Cawdor,  Glamis,  all, 
As  the  weyard  women  promis'd;  and  I  feare 
Thou  playd'st  most  fowly  for  't:  yet  it  was  saide 
It  should  not  stand  in  thy  posterity, 
But  that  my  selfe  should  be  the  roote  and  father 
Of  many  kings.    If  there  come  truth  from  them. 
As  upon  thee,  Macbeth,  their  speeches  shine, 
Why,  by  the  verities  on  thee  made  good, 
May  they  not  be  my  oracles  as  well, 

And  set  me  up  in  hope?    But  hush, no  more ! 

SENIT  SOUNDED 


ENTER  MACBETH  AS  KING  LADY  MACBETH  LENOX 
ROSSE  LORDS  LADIES  AND  ATTENDANTS 

MACBETH 
Heere  rs  our  chiefe  guest. 

LADY    MACBETH 

If  he  had  beene  forgotten, 
It  had  bene  as  a  gap  in  our  great  feast, 
And  all-thing  unbecomming. 


<ff2  Either  THE  before  WEY- 
ARD is  intended  to  be  read  as 
'th"  or  WEYARD  is  to  be 
scanned  as  a  monosyllable ; 
the  former  seems  more  likely, 
as  'weird'  can  hardly  have 
less  stress  than  WOMEN. 
*ff4  IT,  i.e.  the  sovereignty. 
STAND,  'abide,'  'remain.' 
POSTERITY,  'line,'  'issue'*, 
the  word  is  used  in  EL.  E.  of 
one's  immediatedescendants, 
cp.  "Hee'ld  make  an  end  of 
thy  posterity"  Cor.  IV.  2. 26. 
SF  5  The  reflexive  pronouns  like  MY  SELFE  are  often  used  as  subjects  in  M.  E.  and  e.  N.  E. 
without  the  strengthening  pronouns,  cp.  1.3-96.  ROOTE,  'progenitor,'  a  figurative  use  of 
the  word  not  uncommon  in  EL. E.,  cp.  "In  several  tables  they  [i.e.  the  Scripture  genealo- 
gies] are  here  exhibited  even  from  their  first  root"  Genealogies  appended  to  the  16 1 3  ver- 
sion of  the  Bible,  p.  2  ;  cp.,  too,  Rom.  XV.  12,  "the  root  of  David,"  and  Rev.  XXII.  16.  SF 7 
The  modern  punctuation,  through  which  AS  .  .  SHINE  is  cut  off  by  dashes  instead  of  by 
commas  as  in  FO.  I,  is  misleading.  AS  is  used  in  its  EL.  sense  of  'in  proportion  as.' 
SPEECHES, '  statements,'  here  equivalent  to  '  predictions,'  cp.  "  Have  you  consider'd  of  my 
speeches?"  III.  1.76;  the  word  was  used  thus  in  EL. E.  without  the  connotation  of  formal 
and  premeditated  utterance  which  it  now  has.  SHINE,  'reflect  glory  and  honour,'  cp. 
1. 4. 41.  SF8  VERITIES,  cp.  "which  you  shal  finde  By  every  sillable  a  faithful  veritie" 
Meas.  IV.  3.  130.  *1F  10  SENIT  SOUNDED:  cp.  "Other  soundings  there  are  .  .  a  senet 
for  state"  'The  Souldier's  Accidence'  pp.  60-62,  cited  in  N.  Shak.  Soc.  Proceedings, 
'80-'85,  Appendix,  p.  86.     Another  stage  direction  of  the  same  sort  is  found  at  the  end 

90 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


of  Hen. 5.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  peculiar  set  of  notes  on  the  cornet  associated  with 
the  movements  of  royal  persons,  cp.  the  interesting  note  on  the  word  in  Nares's  Glossary. 
For  other  forms  of  it  see  Cent. Diet.  s.v.  The  LADIES  after  LORDS  is  a  modern  addi- 
tion to  the  stage  direction.  SF  13  ALL-THING,  'quite/  'altogether/  N.  E.  D.  'all'  2  b ;  the 
accusative  of  'thing'  and  'way'  with  a  qualifying  adjective  did  duty  as  adverbs  in  M.E. 
and  e.  N.  E.,  cp.  "nothing  afeard"  1.3-96,  "something  from"  III.  1. 132;  cp.  also  "each 

way  guilty"  Sidney's  Arcadia, 

ACT  III  SCENE  I 


14-28 

MACBETH 
To  night  we  hold  a  solemne  supper,  sir, 
And  Tie  request  your  presence. 
BANQUO 

Let  your  highnesse 
Command  upon  me,  to  the  which  my  duties 
Are  with  a  most  indissoluble  tye 
For  ever  knit. 

MACBETH 
Ride  you  this  afternoone? 
BANQUO 

I,  my  good  lord.  20 
MACBETH 
We    should    have   else    desir'd    your    good 

advice, 
Which  still  hath  been  both  grave  and  pros- 
perous, 
In  this  dayes  councell;  but  wee 'le  take  to 

morrow. 
Is  Tt  farre  you  ride? 

BANQUO 
As  farre,  my  lord,  as  will  fill  up  the  time 
'Twixt  this  and  supper:  goe  not   my  horse 

the  better, 
I  must  become  a  borrower  of  the  night 
For  a  darke  houre  or  twaine. 


p.  304,  "  something  too  great " 
ibid.,  p.  42  b,  "any  way  im- 
portune [i.e.  importunate]," 
ibid. j  p.  4  b. 


<ff  14  SOLEMNE  has  here  its 
common  EL.  sense  of  'for- 
mal/ '  ceremonial/  cp.  "  at  thy 
solemnefeast"TitusV.2. 1 15. 
SFI6  UPON  goes  with  ME 
rather  than  with  COMMAND, 
and  is  used  in  its  EL.  E.  sense 
of  'concerning/  'with  refer- 
ence to/  cp. "  I  have  no  power 
upon  you"  Ant.&Cl.  1.3-23, 
and  "upon  for  concerning; 
c/e"  Phr.  Gen.  WHICH  in 
e.  N.E.  refers  to  persons  as 
well  as  to  things,  cp.  "Our 
Father  which  art  in  heaven" 
in  our  EL.  version  of  the 
Bible;  as  in  M.E.,  it  often 
takes  the  definite  article,  cp. 
"some  soldier  .  .  the  which 
for  feare  had  sneaked  from 
campe"  Greene's  Alphonso, 
v.  256.  Banquo's  words  echo 
the  notion  in  Macbeth's 
speech  to  Duncan  in  1.4.23- 
*ffI9  RIDE  YOU,  etc.,  illus- 
trates a  not  uncommon  word 
order  for  the  EL.  interrogative 
sentence.  The  word  RIDE  in 
M.E.  and  e.N.E.  is  a  general 
term  for  travelling,  and  itsem- 
ployment  here  does  not  imply 
that  Banquo  is  taking  a  ride 
for  pleasure.  <ff  22  STILL, 
always.'  GRAVE, 'carefully 
'authoritative/ 


considered/ 

N.  E.  D.  I .  PROSPEROUS, '  turning  out  well/  as  in  "  And  may  our  oathes  well  kept  and  pros- 
p'rous  be"  Hen.5  V.2.402;  possibly,  however,  Macbeth  wishes  Banquo  to  understand 
the  word  in  its  now  obsolete  sense  of  'favourable/  cp.  "To  my  unfolding  lend  your  pros- 
perous eare"  Oth.I.3.245-  SF  23  TAKE  was  widely  used  in  EL.  expressions  of  time,  cp. 
"Take  thyfaire  houre"  Ham.  1.2.62  ;  here  Macbeth  seems  to  mean  that  he  will  postpone 
the  meeting  so  that  Banquo  may  be  present  at  it.    The  words  thus  spoken  in  the  presence 

91 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


of  the  court,  like  the  order  given  to  the  servant  in  II.  1. 3 1,  were  perhaps  intended  to  fore- 
stall the  suspicion  that  might  fall  upon  Macbeth  when  Banquo's  murder  became  known. 
SF  26  THE  BETTER:  the  correlative  clause  is  to  be  supplied,  'the  better  for  having  so 
much  work  to  do';  cp.  "they  will  be  sure  if  he  ride  not  the  stronger  to  be  fingering  his 
purse"  Harrison's  England,  ed.  Furnivall,  p.  284:  the  phrase  is  thus  tantamount  to  'better 
than  usual.'     SF28    TWAINE 


ACT  III 


SCENE  I 


28-44 


was  originally  the  masculine 
form  of  the  numeral  whose 
neuter  was 'two.'  The  gender 
distinction  was  lost  in  M.  E.r 
and  the  two  words  were  used 
more  or  less  interchangeably 
in  e.  N.  E., 'twain'  being  re- 
stricted to  substantive  usage, 
and, probably  f  rom  its  likeness 
to  'twin,'  being  thought  to 
stand  for  bini  rather  than  for 
duo.  By  the  time  of  Kersey, 
1708,  it  was  considered  ar- 
chaic, as  it  is  in  MN.E. 

<TF  28  FAILE,'miss,"be  absent 
from,'N.E.D.9,I0.  <ff  29  Ban- 
quo's brief  answer  with  stress 
falling  on  WILL  is  peculiarly 
ominous.  SF  30  BLOODY, 
'murderous,'  'blood-guilty,' 
cp.  N.E.  D.  6,  a  sense  of  the 
word  now  somewhat  unusual. 
BESTOW'D,  'lodged,'  as  in 
III. 6.24.  SF  32  PARRICIDE 
applied  to  'the  murder  of  a 
father'  is  not  so  common  now 
as  is  the  word  in  the  sense  of 
1  the  murderer  of  one's  father.' 
*ff  33  INVENTION:  the  no- 
tion is  now  more  concrete 
and  would  be  plural  in  MN.  E. 
*ff  34  THEREWITHALL, 'be- 
sides that,'  "withall"  being 
equivalent  to  'with.'  Mac- 
beth treats  the  matter  as  per- 
sonal. CAUSE,  'business,' 
cp.  N.  E.  D.  10,  especially  the 
citation  "The  cause  craves 
hast"  Lucr.  1295,  which  also 
illustrates  CRAVING  in  the 
sense  of  'demanding' — here 
'  requiring  our  attention.' 
Macbeth    treats    Banquo   as 

his  trusted  lieutenant.       SF36    GOES   FLEANCE  WITH  YOU?  is  artfully  added  as  an 
apparent  afterthought.     But  Macbeth's  plot  aims  at  Fleance  as  well  as  at  his  father.    ^37 


MACBETH 

Faile  not  our  feast. 
BANQUO 
My  lord,  I  will  not. 

MACBETH 
We  heare  our  bloody  cozens  are  bestow'd 
In  England  and  in  Ireland,  not  confessing 
Their  cruell  parricide,  filling  their  hearers 
With  strange  invention:  but  of  that  to  mor- 
row, 
When  therewithall,  we  shall  have  cause  of 

state 
Craving  us  joyntly.    Hye  you  to  horse :  adieu, 
Till  you  returne  at  night.   Goes  Fleance  with 
you? 

BANQUO 
I,  my  good  lord:  our  time  does  call  upon  ?s. 

MACBETH 
I  wish  your  horses  swift  and  sure  of  foot, 
And  so  I  doe  commend  you  to  their  backs. 
Farwell. 

EXIT   BANQUO 

Let  every  man  be  master  of  his  time 

Till  seven  at  night;    to  make  societie 

The   sweeter   welcome,  we   will   keepe   our 

selfe 
Till  supper  time  alone:  while  then,  God  be 

with  you! 

EXEUNT   LORDS 


TIME,  'appointment. 


DOES  CALL  UPON  's,  'claims  us,'  cp.  "A  verie  serrious  businesse 
<       92 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


call's  on  him"  All's  W.  II.  4. 41.  «ff  39  COMMEND,  'commit,' as  in  1.7.  II,  smilingly  said 
in  imitation  of  the  farewell  formula.  SF  40  Words  like  FARWELL,  short  phrases  like 
"no,  no,"  and  compellations  like  "  My  lords,"  a  Sir  knight,"  etc.,  are  often  not  reckoned  as 
part  of  the  verse  in  EL.  dramatic  poetry,  see  e.g.  Peek's  Sir  Clyomonand  Sir  Clamydes  (ed. 
Bullen), passim.  Sf  42  SOCIETIE  is  often  used  in  EL.E.  in  the  sense  of  social  intercourse, 
cp.  "there  is  nothing  to  which  nature  hath  more  addressed  us  than  to  society"  Florio's 
Montaigne,  1.27.  SF  43  WELCOME  is  used  in  its  adjective  sense.  The  Folio  verse  divi- 
sion is  The  .  .  welcome,  We  .  .  alone,  While  .  .  you.     ^44   WHILE  has  here  its  M.E.  and 

e. N.E.  sense  of  'until,'  cp. 
Tw.N.  IV.3.29,  and  "While 
signifying  'until'  or  'so  long 
till '  is  made  by  donee,  dum  and 
tantis  per  dum  :  as  I  will  not 
leave  while  I  have  done  it, 
hauddesinam  donee  per fecero 
hoc,  etc."  Phr.Gen.  GOD 
BE  WITH  YOU  is  merely  the 
fuller  form  of  'good-bye'  and 
is  probably  trisyllabic  here, 
'  God  b'wy  ye.' 


ACT  III 

Sirrha, 


SCENE  I 


45-48 


word  wi 


th 


Pi 


you 


attend   those   men    our 


easure 


SERVANT 
They  are,  my  lord,  without  the  pallace  gate. 

MACBETH 
Bring  them  before  us. 

EXIT   SERVANT 


*1F45  SIRRHA:  the  word  is 
not  part  of  v.  45,  though  so 
printed  in  theCambridge  text : 
see  note  to  v.  40.  EL.  printers  frequently  make  the  extra  measure  phrases  part  of  the  verse 
which  follows,  as  the  printer  of  FO.  I  has  done  in  this  case,  throwing  OU  R  PLEASU  RE  into 
a  separate  line.  The  form  SIRRHA  is  common  in  EL.E.  Minsheu  s.v.  says  that  the 
word  is  one  of  contempt :  though  usually  in  Shakspere  implying  the  social  inferiority  of 
the  person  so  addressed,  it  is  not  always  thus  used,  cp.  IV. 2. 30.  IF 47  WITHOUT,  'out- 
side of,'  a  sense  the  word  of- 
ACT    III  SCENE     I  48-57       ten  bears  in  M.E.  and  e.N.E. 

<ff48,49  TO  BETHUS  ISNO- 
THING  BUT  TO  BE  SAFELY 
THUS,  'To  be  what  I  am  is 
nothing  at  all  if  I  cannot  be 
what  I  am  in  security  and 
without  fear.'  This  usage  of 
BUT  is  paralleled  in  Merry 
W.  II. 2. 321  ff. :  "what  they 
thinkein their heartsthey  may 
effect,  they  will  breake  their 
hearts  but  they  will  effect." 
The  idiom  is  not  uncommon 
in  EL.  E.,  cp.  the  statement  in 
Phr.Gen.  to  the  effect  that 
'but'  was  "anciently  used  in 
this  sense  [i.e.  of  'if  not,'  'did 
not/  'were  it  not  that']  for 
'unless,'  'without  that.'"  The  idiom  occurs  also  in  Cooper's  Thesaurus  s.v.  fero:  unon 
feret  quin  vapulet,  he  shall  not  scape  but  be  [i.e.  without  being]  beaten."  "  I  have  much 
to  do  But  to  go  hang  my  head  all  at  one  side"  in  Oth.  IV. 3. 3 1  illustrates  the  use  of  the 
conjunction  to  connect  two  infinitives  as  here,  but  the  passage  has  been  variously  miscon- 


To  be  thus  is  nothing 
But  to  be  safely  thus:  our  feares  in  Banquo 
Sticke  deepe;  and  in  his  royaltie  of  nature 
Reignes  that  which   would  be   fear'd:    'tis 

much  he  dares, 
And  to  that  dauntlesse  temper  of  his  minde, 
He  hath  a  wisdome  that  doth  guide  his  valour 
To  act  in  safetie.      There  is  none  but  he 
Whose  being  I  doe  feare:  and  under  him 
My  genius  is  rebuk'd,  as  it  is  said 
Mark  Anthonies  was  by  Caesar. 


93 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

strued  by  modern  editors.  The  same  idiom  is  found  in  Temp.  II.  I.  240  ff. :  "  No  hope  that 
way  is  Another  way  [i.e.  looked  at  in  another  light]  so  high  a  hope  [i.e.  for  the  sovereignty] 
that  even  Ambition  cannot  pierce  a  winke  beyond  But  doubt  [i.e.  without  doubting]  discovery 
[i.e.  what  is  brought  to  light,  N.E.D.  5]  there,"  where  again  modern  editors  miss  the  sense 
in  attempting  to  construe  the  passage  into  modern  idiom.  It  almost  always  happens,  as 
it  does  here,  that  whenever  it  has  been  assumed  that  a  passage  of  Shakspere's  text  is 
corrupt,  a  reference  to  other  instances  where  the  same  idiom  occurs  will  show  that  they  too 
will  have  been  independently  assumed  to  be  corrupt.  The  Cambridge  Text,  overlooking 
this  usage  of  'but,' adopts  Theobald's  punctuation,  changing  the  comma  after  NOTHING 
to  a  semicolon,  and  construing  BUT  TO  BE  SAFELY  THUS  as  a  kind  of  aposiopesis. 
This  alteration  reduces  Macbeth's  words  to  sheer  nonsense.  The  whole  passage  is  con- 
tinuous, and  'to  be  safely  thus  is  everything,'  or  'oh  to  be  safely  thus,'  or  '  I  must  be  safely 
thus,'  or  'to  reign  in  safety  is  the  thing  to  be  desired,'  or  '  I  will  be  safely  thus,'  no  matter 
how  the  words  are  stressed,  are  ideas  which  could  not  in  any  period  of  English  syntax  be 
inferred  from  "But  to  be  safely  thus."  "Safe"  and  its  corresponding  adverb  SAFELY 
often  in  EL. E.  connote  the  notion  of  'secure,'  'securely,'  cp.  1.4.27  and  "But  in  our  orbs 
will  live  so  round  and  safe"  Per.  1.2. 122;  this  seems  to  be  the  meaning  here.  It  is  the 
insecurity  of  his  "fruitlesse  crowne"  and  his  "barren  scepter,"  menaced  by  the  prediction 
of  the  witches  regarding  Banquo  and  Fleance,  rather  than  his  personal  danger,  that  puts 
"rancours  in  the  vessel!  "  of  Macbeth's  peace.  SF 49  Not  FEARES  in  Banquo,  but  'stick 
deep  in  Banquo,'  'have  taken  root  in  Banquo,'  cp.  "Opinion  that  so  stickes  on  Martius" 
Cor.1. 1.275.  SF50  ROYALTIE  OF  NATURE,  i.e.  his  fitness  for  kingship,  not  his  innate 
nobility  of  character ;  Shakspere  does  not  use  the  word  in  this  latter  modern  sense,  but 
attaches  to  it  a  more  literal  significance.  It  is  'the  invisible  instinct  framing  him  to  royalty 
unlearned'  which  will  draw  the  court  to  his  support  once  he  makes  his  claim  that  Macbeth 
is  afraid  of;  Shakspere's  unerring  instinct  in  choosing  words  expresses  this  'dominance' 
by  the  word  REIGNES.  SF5I  WOULD  BE,  'is  to  be,'  'must  be,'  a  sense  of  the  auxiliary 
not  altogether  lost  in  MN.E.  ^52  TO,  'in  addition  to.'  DAUNTLESSE  MINDE  refers 
to  Banquo's  courage,  not  to  his  intellect ;  "  mind"  in  EL.  E.  was  not  so  restricted  to  intellec- 
tion as  in  MN.E. ;  cp.  "but  let  thy  dauntlesse  minde  still  ride  in  triumph"  3Hen.6  III. 3- 17. 
SF 54  ACT  IN  SAFETIE,  'mature  his  plans  in  security.'  Macbeth  is  not  afraid  of  Mal- 
colm, Donalbaine,  and  Macduff,  but  of  the  quiet,  far-seeing  Banquo.  The  audience 
knows,  however,  that  it  is  the  vagueness  of  Banquo's  suspicions  and  his  unwillingness 
to  lend  himself  to  the  powers  of  evil,  not  his  deep-laid  plans,  that  have  prevented  him 
from  pushing  his  claim.  SAFETIE  in  EL.  E.  is  often  a  trisyllable  saf-e-ty :  Shakspere  so 
uses  the  word  in  Ham.  1. 3. 21  ;  to  read  it  so  here  and  contract  THERE  IS  to 'there 's' gives 
more  prominent  stress  to  NONE.  *TF  55  UNDER  HIM  reveals  most  clearly  his  sense  of 
inferiority  to  Banquo.  SF56  The  GENIUS  or  "daimon"  was  a  Platonic  conception  of 
EL.  psychology  which  conceived  of  a  personal  spirit  attending  the  career  of  the  individual ; 
Burton,  'Anat.  of  Mel.'  I.ii.  1.2,  says  of  them:  'as  Anthony  Rusca  contends,  every  man 
hath  a  good  and  a  bad  angel  attending  on  him  in  particular  all  his  life  long,  which  Iam- 
blichus  calls  dcemonem  .  .  That  base  fellows  are  often  advanced,  undeserving  Gnathoes 
and  vicious  parasites,  whereas  virtuous  and  worthy  men  are  neglected  and  unrewarded, 
they  refer  to  these  domineering  spirits  or  subordinate  Genii ;  .  .  for  as  Libanius  supposeth 
in  our  ordinary  conflicts  and  contentions  Genius  genio  cedit  et  obtemperat,  one  genius 
yields  and  is  overcome  by  another.'  Burton  calls  these  notions  iineptice  et  fabulosce 
nugce,1  but  Shakspere  reflects  the  belief  here  and  in  Ant.&Cl.  II.  3- 18  :  "  Therefore,  oh  An- 
thony, stay  not  by  his  side:  Thy  Daemon,  that  thy  spirit  which  keepes  thee,  is  Noble, 
couragious,  high  unmatchable,  Where  Caesar's  is  not.  But  neere  him  thy  angell  Becomes 
a  feare  as  being  o're-powr'd."  As  CI.  Pr.  points  out,  Shakspere,  in  writing  the  latter 
passage,  follows  North's  Plutarch,  ed.  1579,  p.  983:  "'For  thy  demon,'  said  he  [i.e.  the 
soothsayer  who  warned  Antony  of  Caesar's  predominance],  'that  is  to  say  the  good  angell 
and  spirit  that  keepeth  thee,  is  afraid  of  his  :  and  being  coragious  and  high  when  he  is  alone 

94 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


becometh  fearefull  and  temerous  when  he  cometh  neere  unto  the  other.' "  The  date  of 
Ant.&Cl.  ( 1 606-7  ?)  is  near  that  of  Macbeth.  REBU  K'D, '  checked/  '  restrained,'  cp.  u  wee 
could  have  rebuk'd  him  at  Harflewe"  Hen.5  III.  6. 128.      *ff  57    CAESAR:  not 'by  Caesar's 

genius/  but  by  Caesar  him- 

ACT  III  SCENE  I 


57-72 

He  chid  the  sisters 
When  first  they  put  the  name  of  kins*  upon 

me, 
And  bad  them  speake  to  him ;  then,  prophet- 
like, 
They  hayl'd  him  father  to  a  line  of  kinsjs: 
Upon  my  head  they  plac'd  a  fruitlesse  crowne 
And  put  a  barren  scepter  in  my  sjripe, 
Thence  to  be  wrencht  with  an  unlineall  hand, 
No  sonne  of  mine  succeeding.     If  't  be  so, 
For  Banquo's  issue  have  I  fil'd  my  minde, 
For  them  the  gracious  Duncan  have  I  mur- 

ther'd; 
Put  rancours  in  the  vessell  of  my  peace 
Onely  for  them,  and  mine  eternall  jewell 
Given  to  the  common  enemie  of  man, 
To  make  them  kings,  the  seedes  of  Banquo 

kings ! 
Rather  then  so,  come  fate  into  the  lyst 
And  champion  me  to  thr  utterance!     Who  's 
there?      /^/  .  ^    '/^r 


self,  i.e.  in  his  presence.  The 
verse  has  an  extra  impulse 
before  the  caesura. 


<ff58  PUT  .  .  UPON  ME, 'ad- 
dressed me  with/  cp.  "he  .  . 
put  strange  speech  upon  me" 
Tw.N.V.  1.70.  SF63  WITH, 
'by/ cp.  note  to  I.3-93-  UN- 
LINEALL, not  in  the  line  of 
Macbeth  and  Duncan.  The 
word  is  a  nonce-usage  in 
Shakspere.  Slatyer  in  a  note 
to  Canto  XIV  of  his  Jacobus 
(p.  287)  says  that  "  The  house 
of  Loquhabar  to  which  Ban- 
quo  belonged  was  an  ancient 
house  and  allyed  to  the  kings." 
It  suits  Shakspere's  dramatic 
purpose  to  conceive  of  the 
sceptre  being  WRENCHT 
from  the  usurper  Macbeth's 
hands,  and  to  such  a  concep- 
tion NO  SONNE  OF  MINE 
SUCCEEDING  is  a  dramatic 
necessity.  One  tradition  at 
least  gives  Macbeth  an  heir ; 
Holinshed  is  silent  on  the 
subject.  But  Macbeth's  strong 
hope  for  a  son  is  sufficient 
ground  for  his  bitterness 
against  Banquo  and  Fleance. 
And  such  a  hope  he  must 
have  had,  for  that  Lady  Macbeth  had  borne  children  we  get  from  1.7.54:  her  hus- 
band's admiration  of  her  power  in  I.  7.  72  takes  the  form,  "  Bring  forth  men-children 
onely,"  and  the  despair  that  overtakes  him  when  in  V.  5. 17  he  hears  that  the  queen  is  dead 
may  have  a  deeper  root  than  in  the  mere  loss  of  a  companion  in  his  ambition,  and  his 
"She  should  have  dy'de  heereafter"  be  more  than  the  mere  platitude  it  is  usually  under- 
stood to  be.  SF65  For  BANQUO'S  ISSUE  see  note  to  IV.  1. 121.  FIL'D  MY  MINDE, 
'defiled  my  soul';  FILE  in  M.E.  and  e.  N.E.  means  'to  defile/  N.E.D.  3  ;  it  is  an  O.E.  weak 
verb  form  based  upon  the  adjective  which  has  become  'foul'  in  MN.E. :  and  MINDE  in 
EL.E.  is  frequently  used  where  MN.E.  employs  'soul'  to  denote  the  moral  nature  of  man, 
cp.  "the  guiltinesse  of  my  minde"  Merry  W.  V.  5. 130.  In  the  interval  between  Act  II  and 
Act  III  Macbeth  has  come  to  realize  the  price  he  has  paid  for  success  in  allowing  foul  and 
unclean  spirits  to  reside  in  his  "minde."  ^  67  RANCOURS  still  retained  enough  of  its 
original  connotation  in  EL.  E.  to  make  Shakspere's  figure  of  a  tainted  wine-vessel  an 
apposite  one,  cp.  Phillips's  New  World  of  Words,  "  rancidity  or  rancor,  mouldiness,  rotten- 
ness, mustiness,"  and  Coles,  171 3,  "rancor,  rottenness."  VESSELL  is  similarly  used  in 
"If  I  would  broach  the  vessels  of  my  love"  Timon  II.  2.  186,  and  has  nothing  to  do  with 


:  Lady  i 


4" 


95 


ys 


<^Ut 


— 1J 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

Rom.  IX.  22,  23,  as  CI.  Pr.  supposes.  *ff  68  MINE  ETERNALL  JEWELL,  cp.  "the  Jewell 
of  life  By  some  damn'd  hand  was  rob'd  and  tane  away"  John  V.  1.40.  ETERNALL  in  EL. E. 
means  '  immortal,'  cp.  "  They  beleeve  their  soules  to  be  eternall "  Florio's  Montaigne,  I.  xxx. 
SF  69  THE  COMMON  ENEMIE  OF  MAN,  i.e.  Satan,  cp.  "  What,  man!  defie  the  divell?  con- 
sider, he  's  an  enemy  to  mankinde"  Tw.N.  III. 4. 107.  This  and  v.  65  go  deeper  than  a  mere 
1  expression  of  remorse  of  conscience,'  as  they  are  generally  understood.  They  rather  show 
Macbeth's  guilty  consciousness  that  his  belief  in  the  instruments  of  darkness  is  practically 
a  tacit  bargain  with  the  powers  of  evil.  SF  70  SEEDES,  'descendants,'  cp.  "  Saw  his  heroi- 
call  seed  and  smil'd  to  see  him"  Hen. 5  II.4.59f  'My flesh  divided  in  your  precious  shapes 
Shall  still  retain  my  spirit  though  I  die  And  live  in  all  your  [quarto  of  1 606,  'our']  seeds 
immortally'  Marlowe's  Tamburlaine,  2d  part,  V. 3  (cited  by  Dyce),  and  'Thunders  on 
your  head  And  after  you  crush  your  surviving  seeds'  Chapman  and  Shirley's  Chabot,  1 1. 3 
(cited  by  Walker).  In  spite  of  these  passages,  many  modern  editors  assume  that  'seed' 
cannot  have  a  plural,  and  change  Shakspere's  "seedes"  of  FOS.  I,  2,  3,  and  4  to  'seed.' 
Dyce  says  that  the  Marlowe  passage  is  'corrupt'  in  both  editions,  and  Walker  says  that 
Shirley's  whole  play  is  'corrupt.'  But  such  arbitrary  assumptions  of  grammatical  usage 
in  EL.  E.  and  such  wholesale  invokings  of  the  deus  ex  machina  of  corruptness  to  explain 
EL.  usages  which  do  not  conform  to  modern  notions  are  unreasonable  and  unscholarly. 
The  citation  from  Hen. 5  clearly  shows  that  "seed"  in  EL.  E.  was  used  as  a  singular  and 
concrete  noun  as  well  as  a  collective  term  for  descendants :  we  are  not  warranted  there- 
fore in  altering  Shakspere's  text  as  do  the  Cambridge  editors  on  mere  arbitrary  grounds, 
despite  the  fact  that"sonnes"  is  apparently  printed  for  "son"  in  III.  6. 24.  SF7I  RATHER 
THEN  SO,  i.e.  rather  than  have  Banquo's  descendants  become  kings ;  cp.  note  to  II.  1.47. 
COME  FATE  is  usually  construed  as  a  vocative  idiom  and  "fate"  cut  off  by  commas ;  but 
there  is  no  good  ground  for  departing  from  the  FO.  punctuation,  that  of  the  text,  which 
makes  the  idiom  subjunctive,  i.e.  let  fate  come,  etc.  LYST  as  a  term  for  the  enclosure  in 
which  formal  combats  were  held  is  usually  plural,  'lists,'  in  EL.  E.  as  in  MN.  E.  Minsheu, 
however,  gives  "a  list  to  fight  in,"  and  there  is  as  little  ground  for  making  the  word  into 
'lists' as  there  is  for  making  "seedes"  into 'seed.'  SF  72  CHAMPION  METOTH'UT- 
TERANCE:  the  phraseology  of  this  passage  and  the  use  of  "me"  after  "champion"  make 
it  scarcely  possible  that  the  modern  construction  'fight  against  me  to  the  uttermost'  was 
the  one  which  an  EL.  audience  would  put  upon  Shakspere's  words.  CHAMPION  used 
as  a  verb  is  not  elsewhere  found  in  EL.  E.,  see  N.E.  D. ;  but  there  can  be  little  doubt  that 
Macbeth  means  that  FATE  is  to  be  his  champion  to  maintain  his  royal  title  against  all 
comers,  and  not  Banquo's  champion.  Cowel  in  his  law  dictionary  gives  an  interesting 
definition  of  the  tenure  of  the  royal  championship  by  the  house  of  Dimnock,  cited  in  N.  E.  D. 
The  Dimnock  title  and  tenure  to  the  royal  championship  are  not  yet  extinct,  though  the  ser- 
vice had  degenerated  to  the  mere  bearing  of  the  royal  standard  of  England  at  the  coro- 
nation of  King  Edward  VII.  Halle's  description  of  the  championship  of  Henry  VIII, 
'Chronicle,'  1550,  Hen. 8,  folio  4,  contains  the  phrase  Shakspere  used :  "Then  he  [i.e.  Sir 
William  Dimnocke]  commaunded  his  awne  [i.e.  owne]  herauld  .  .  to  saie :  if  there  be  any 
persone,  of  what  estate  or  degree  soever  he  be,  that  will  saie  or  prove  [i.e.  maintain]  that 
Kyng  Henry  the  Eight  is  not  the  rightful  inheritor  and  kyng  of  this  realme  I  sir  William 
Dimnocke,  here  his  champion,  offre  my  glove  to  fight  in  his  querell  [i.e.  cause]  with  any 
persone  to  th'  utterance."  TO  TH'  UTTERANCE  and  'to  the  outrance'  are  English  ver- 
sions of  the  O.FR.  l  combattre  jusq'a  outrance  de  mort/  which  denoted  a  combat  to  the 
death,  a  fight  without  quarter,  that  must  continue  until  one  or  the  other  of  the  combatants 
was  killed.  The  English  phrase  'to  the  uttermost'  is  probably  responsible  for  the  form 
'utterance'  instead  of  'outrance.'  To  "keepe  at  utterance,"  i.e.  to  hold  to  the  last  ex- 
tremity, occurs  in  Cym.  III.  1.73.  FATE  in  EL.E.  is  used  of  death,  destruction,  ruin,  cp. 
note  to  II. 3- 127  :  Fleance  "must  embrace  the  fate  of  that  darke  houre  "  in  v.  137,  Macbeth 
will  "take  a  bond  of  [i.e.  from]  fate"  by  killing  Macduff  in  IV.  1.84.  Here  death  and 
ruin  are  to  be  Macbeth's  champions  and  maintain  his  claim  to  the  crown  'e'en  till  distruction 

96 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


sicken.'  The  words  are  not  a  challenge  to  destiny :  Macbeth  is  not  ready  for  that  until 
the  end  of  the  play,  cp.  V.8.  30  f f . ;  when  he  can  challenge  destiny  he  redeems  himself, 
and  his  long  tragedy  is  over.  This  soliloquy  of  Macbeth,  like  the  other  soliloquy  in 
1. 3. 1 30  f f .,  from  "  To  be  thus  is  nothing,  but  to  be  safely  thus  "  to  these,  its  closing  words, 
becomes   hopelessly  confused  when   we   try  to  wrest  its  phraseology  into  MN.E.,  and 

clearly  illustrates  the  folly  of 


ACT  III 


SCENE  I 


73-84 


ignoring  the  fact  that  Shak- 
spere's  English  is  quite  dif- 
ferent from  modern  idiom. 

The  ENTER  SERVANT 
would, of  course, be  '  re-enter' 
in  MN.  stage  directions,  cp. 
notetoll.3.95.  SF74  SPOKE 
is  again  used  in  its  EL.  sense 
of 'conferred.'  SF  75  WELL 
THEN  seems  to  be  an  answer 
to  the  first  murderer's  state- 
ment. The  FO.  begins  a 
new  verse  with  "now":  but 
the  N  in  "Now"  may  be  a 
misprint  for  H,  its  neighbour- 
ing letter  in  the  printers'  case. 
"Well  then,  how"  would 
avoid  the  awkward  collo- 
cation of  notions  presented 
by  "then  now."  FO.3  and 
FO.  4  read  "You  have"  in- 
stead of  "Have  you."  From 
here  to  v.  82  the  FO.  verse 
division  is  Know  .  .  past, 
Which  .  .  fortune,  Which  .  . 
selfe,  This  .  .  conference, 
Past  .  .  you,  How  .  .  crost, 
The  instruments  . .  them,  And 
.  .  might.  «ff  76  CONSID- 
ER'D  OF,  'thought  carefully 
over/N.E.D.  II.  SPEECHES, 
'statements,' or  possibly  'of- 
fers' ;  cp.  note  on  III.  1.7  and 
III. 6. 1.  Shakspere  by  thus 
picturing  the  continuation  of  negotiations  already  begun  avoids  the  introduction  of  a  new 
theme  of  interest.  TF  77  The  rhythm  of  IN  THE  TIMES  PAST  is  "  '  "  '  with  reversal 
occurring  after  the  caesura.  The  idiom  is  now  'in  the  past'  with  'times,'  i.e.  occasions, 
omitted.  SF  78  UNDER  FORTUNE, 'exposed  to  danger,' with  FORTUNE  in  its  somewhat 
rare  sense  of  'misfortunes,'  'perils,'  cp.  "the  battailes,  sieges,  fortune  That  I  have  past" 
Oth.1.3. 130,  also  III.  1. 1 12  of  this  play  and  N.E.D.  2  b.  That  this  is  the  meaning  here 
seems  clear  from  "  He  is  now  under  the  hazards  of  fortune,  fortunce  jam  ictibus  est  ex- 
positus"  Phr.  Gen.  s.v.  'fortune.'  *ff  79  INNOCENT, 'inn'cent,' see  note  to  1. 5-66;  so 
'conf'rence'  in  the  next  verse.  SF  80  PAST  IN  PROBATION,  'spent  with  you  in  proving 
how,  etc.':  PAST  is  the  adjectively  used  past  participle  and  goes  with  CONFERENCE; 
FO.  I  has  a  comma  after  "  conference,"  but,  as  has  already  been  pointed  out,  this  is  normal 
EL.  punctuation,  see  note  to  1.2.56.     Many  modern  editors  alter  the  sense  by  printing  a 

97 


ENTER   SERVANT  AND  TWO   MURTHERERS 

Now  goe  to  the  doore,  and  stay  there  till  we 
call. 

EXIT   SERVANT 

Was  it  not  yesterday  we  spoke  together? 

MURTHERERS 
It  was,  so  please  your  highnesse. 

MACBETH 

Well  then,  now 
Have  you  consider'd  of  my  speeches?  Know 
That  it  was  he  in  the  times  past  which  held 

you 
So  under  fortune,  which  you  thought  had  been 
Our  innocent  selfe:  this  I  made  good  to  you 
In    our   last   conference,   past   in    probation 

with  you 
How  you  were  borne  in  hand,  how  crost,  the 

instruments, 
Who  wrought  with  them,  and  all  things  else 

that  might 
To  halfe  a  soule  and  to  a  notion  craz'd 
Say  'Thus  did  Banquo.' 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

semicolon  after  "conference,"  making  "past"  the  past  tense.  But  no  such  idiom  as  'to 
pass  in  probation'  in  the  sense  of  'going  over  the  evidence'  has  yet  been  found  in  EL.  E. 
PROBATION,  'proving,'  cp.  "probation  .  .  proving"  Cotgrave.  *ff  8  I  BORNE  IN  HAND 
is  a  common  M.  E.  and  e.N.E.  phrase  meaning  'charged'  and  also 'deceived.'  In  the 
N.E.D.  s.v.  'bear'  3  c  the  former  sense  is  said  to  be  obsolete  circa  1540;  but  a  kindred 
meaning  to  'charge,'  viz.  'falsely  maintain,'  was  still  in  use  in  1 681  ;  cp.  "Do  not  bear  me 
in  hand,  that ;  Noli  quceso  prce  re  ferre  vos — "  (the  rest  of  its  unfinished  citation  is 
u plane  expertes  esse  doctrina?11)  Phr.  Gen.  s.v.  'hand.'  'Bear  in  hand,'  therefore,  in 
the  sense  of  'charge'  may  well  have  been  in  use  in  Shakspere's  time  even  though  not 
noticed  by  the  readers  for  the  Oxford  Dictionary.  The  notion  of  preferring  false  charges 
seems  to  be  in  Macbeth's  mind.  CROST, '  thwarted,'  'opposed,'  N.  E.D.  14.  INSTRU- 
MENTS, 'means,'  N.E.D.  I.  The  verse  seems  to  be  one  of  six  waves;  but  "instrument" 
appears  to  be  stressed  on  its  second  syllable  in  Rich. 2  V.  5- 107  and  possibly  also  in 
Cym.  III. 4.75  :  so  the  reading  'th'  instrument'  may  have  been  here  intended.  Abbott 
supposes  that  the  word  was  syncopated  to  'instr'ment,'  but  such  a  syncopation  bringing 
-strm-  together  would  be  phonetically  difficult.  SF  83  SOULE  in  EL.  E.  was  somewhat 
more  extensively  used  to  denote  an  individual  than  in  MN.E.,  cp.  "that  unlettered,  small 
knowing  soule"  L.L.L.  1. 1.253.  NOTION,  'understanding' ;  Kersey  glosses  the  word  by 
"knowledge,"  Coles,  1 7 1 3»  by  "knowledge  or  understanding,  also  a  conceit  or  point  de- 
livered." Cent.  Diet,  cites  Lear  1.4. 248,  "his  notion  weakens,"  and  Milton,  '  Paradise 
Lost'  VII.  179,  "The  acts  of 

ACT  III  SCENE  I 


God  so  told  as  earthly  notion 
can  receive."  The  verse  has 
the  extra  syllable  before  the 
caesura. 


*ff85  The  FO.  verse  division 
is  I  .  .  so,  And  .  .  now,  Our 
.  .  meeting,  Doe  .  .  predomi- 
nant, In  .  .  goe,  Are  .  .  man, 
And  .  .  hand,  Hath  .  .  beg- 
ger'd,  Yours  .  .  ever.  SF  86 
POINT  OF,  not  'point  where 
we  meet  a  second  time,'  but 
'my  reason  for  this  second 
conference';  cp.  "As  the 
maine  point  of  this  our  after- 
meeting"  Cor. II. 2. 43,  "The 
ground  and  principal  point 
of  the  cause"  Alvearie  s.v. 
'point,'  and  "a  pretty  point 
of  security"  Suckling's  Let- 
ters, 1648,  cited  in  Cent. 
Diet. ;  cp.  also  Coles,  1679, 
"  point,  causa,  status,  caput.11 
SF88  LET  .  .  GOE,  'let  this 
go  on  unchecked,'  N.  E.  D. 
'  let,'  v 1.,  22  e,  or  perhaps  '  dis- 
miss thisfrom  your  thoughts,' 
N.E.D.  22  c.  ARE  YOU  SO 
GOSPELL'D  TO,  'have  you 
been  so  converted  as  to,' 
see  N.  E.  D.  s.v. '  gospelled '  a. 


84-94 


FIRST  MURTHERER 

You  made  it  knowne  to  us. 

MACBETH 
I  did  so;   and  went  further,  which  is  now 
Our  point  of  second  meeting.     Doe  you  finde 
Your  patience  so  predominant  in  your  nature, 
That  you  can  let  this  goe?    Are  you  so  gos- 

pell'd, 
To  pray  for  this  good  man  and  for  his  issue, 
Whose  heavie  hand  hath  bow'd  you  to  the 

grave 
And  begger'd  yours  for  ever? 

FIRST  MURTHERER 

We  are  men,  my  liege. 

MACBETH 
I,  in  the  catalogue  ye  goe  for  men; 
As  hounds  and  greyhounds,  mungrels,  span- 


iels, curres 


Showghes,  water-rugs  and  demy-wolves,  are 
dipt 

98 


r    *-  l^\JV 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  III 


SCENE  I 


95-108 


All  by  the  name  of  dogges:   the  valued  file 
Distinguishes  the  swift,  the  slow,  the  subtle, 
The  house-keeper,  the  hunter,  every  one 
According  to  the  gift  which  bounteous  nature 
Hath  in  him  clos'd,  whereby  he  does  receive 
Particular  addition,  from  the  bill 
That  writes  them  all  alike:   and  so  of  men. 
Now  if  you  have  a  station  in  the  file 
Not  i'  th'  worst  ranke  of  manhood,  say  't, 
And  I  will  put  that  businesse  in  your  bosomes 
Whose  execution  takes  your  enemie  off, 
Grapples  you  to  the  heart  and  love  of  us, 
Who  weare  our  health  but  sickly  in  his  life, 
Which  in  his  death  were  perfect. 


Macbeth  alludes  to  "Ye  have 
heard  that  it  hath  beene  said 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor 
and  hate  thine  enemy  .  .  But 
I  say  unto  you,  Love  your 
enemies  .  .  and  pray  for  them 
which  dispitefully  use  you 
and  persecute  you"  Matt.  V. 
43,  44.  For  SO  .  .  TO  in 
EL.E.correspondingto  MN.E. 
*  so.,  as  to'  see  note  to  1 1. 3-56. 
«ff  89  FOR  HIS  ISSUE  :  with 
his  wonderful  insight  into 
character,  Shakspere  makes 
Macbeth  reflect  his  own  pur- 
pose and  motives  into  the 
minds  of  the  soldiers.  <1F9I 
YOURS,  'your  families,'  see 
note  on  1.6.26.  *ff  92  Mac- 
beth taunts  the  soldiers  as 
Lady  Macbeth  taunted  him 
in  1.7.47,  affecting  to  misun- 
derstand their  use  of  the  word 
MEN.  IN  THE  CATALOGUE  has  not  here  the  vague  general  sense  which  is  given  it  in 
MN.E.  In  Comenius's  Janua  "list  (catalogue)"  stands  in  the  index  with  a  reference  to 
650,  "In  the  same  place  is  kept  the  register  of  the  citizens  names";  cp.  also  Coles, 
"catalogus,  roll,  bill,  catalogue."  Macbeth  says  'on  the  muster-roll  you  pass  for  men.' 
YE  is  the  unemphatic  form  of  the  plural  second  personal  pronoun.  ^93  Of  the  dogs 
Macbeth  mentions  MUNGRELS  were  used  for  sheep-herding,  cp.  "heards  .  .  whom  mas- 
tiffs (bandogs)  or  mungrels  protect  from  the  woolf"  Janua,  410;  SPANIELS  were  bird- 
dogs,  cp.  Cotgrave,  chien  cToiseaux  :  they  were  distinguished  as  'water  spaniels  '  and  'land 
spaniels';  CURRES  were  watch-dogs  and  sheep-dogs,  N.E.D.  I,cp.  "cur  dogg,  canis 
gregarius"  Withall's  '  Littell  Dictionary  for  Children' ;  SHOWGHES  is  probably  a  variant 
spelling  of  'shocks';  Coles's  gloss,  "shock  (dog),  cam's  Islandicus"  would  point  to  a 
Norse  origin  for  the  word,  and  the  variation  between  'shough'  and  'shock'  would  indi- 
cate an  early  introduction  of  it  into  English ;  the  term  is  usually  taken  to  mean  a  rough, 
shaggy  dog ;  WATER-RUGS :  Coles  gives  "  Rug  (a  dog's  name),  Lachne"  ;  the  Cent.  Diet., 
and  perhaps  rightly,  connects  the  word  with  'rug,'  a  shaggy  garment;  DEMY-WOLVES: 
cp.  ulicisque1  a  dog  engendred  between  a  wolfe  and  a  dog"  Cotgrave,  and  "frczsco,  a  dog 
engendred  between  a  wolfe  and  a  bitch,  a  mungrell  curre"  Florio ;  the  prefix  'demi'  was 
widely  used  in  EL.  E.  to  denote  things  or  persons  belonging  half  to  one  class  and  half  to 
another,  cp.  quotations  in  N.E.D.  s.v.  'demi'  II.  *ff 94  CLIPT,  another  form  of  'clept,' 
'called,' was  not  yet  obsolete  in  EL.  E.  though  archaic  :  Shakspere  uses  it  again  in  Ham.  I. 
4.19.  *ff  95  THE  VALUED  FILE,  'the  priced  list,' cp.  "  This  is  the  breefe  of  money, 
plate,  and  jewels  I  am  possest  of;  'tis  exactly  valewed"  Ant. &C1.  V.  2. 138,  and  "Our 
present  musters  grow  upon  the  file  To  five  and  twenty  thousand  men"  2Hen.4  1-3- 10. 
SF96  DISTINGUISHES, 'singles  out,'  N.E.D. 3  b.  SF97  HOUSE-KEEPER,  'watch-dog,' 
N.E.D.  3  b.  SF99  CLOS'D,  'enclosed,'  N.E.D.  3;  the  verb  was  also  used  in  EL.E.  in 
the  sense  of  setting  a  jewel.  SF  100  ADDITION, '  mark  of  distinction,'  see  note  to  1. 3- 106. 
BILL,  'general  catalogue,'  cp.  "a  bil  of  properties"  Mids.  1.2. 108,  and  the  citation  in  note  to 
"catalogue,"  v.  92  above.  The  word  is  still  in  use  in  '  bill  of  particulars,' '  bill  of  lading,'  etc. 
SF  101  WRITES, 'enrolls,' cp.  "who  writes  himselfe  Armigero  in  any  bill"  Merry  W.I.  1.9; 
Baret  seems  to  intend  this  meaning  in  his  gloss  "  to  write  .  .  enrol  men  of  armes,  conscnto" 

99 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


Alvearie's.u.  SF  102  STATION  IN  THE  FILE,  i.e.  a  place  on  the  list ;  the  Folio's  comma 
after  "file"  has  been  removed,  as  NOT  I' TH',  etc.,  evidently  goes  with  STATION.  SF  103 
The  FO.  text  makes  this  a  four-wave  verse, and  perhaps  it  was  intended  to  be  such:  Not 
i'  th'  worst  ranke  of  manhood,  say 't ;  various  expedients  have  been  resorted  to  in  order  to 
fill  out  the  verse,  perhaps  the  best  of  which  is  Not  in  the  wo-erst  ranke,  etc.,  cp.  note  to 
1. 5. 40.  For  the  verbiage  of  the  passage,  cp.  "  of  the  best  ranck  and  station  "  Ham.  1.3. 73- 
SF  104  PUT  IN  YOUR  BOSOMES  is  normal  EL.E.  for  'confide  to  you,'  cp.  "thy  bosome 
shall  partake  The  secrets  of  my  heart"  Cees.  II.  1.305.  SF  105  ENEMIE  is  almost  as  fre- 
quently a  dissyllable  in  EL.  E.,  'en'my '  (usually  so  printed),  as  it  is  a  trisyllable.  TAKES  .  . 
OFF,  cp.  1.7.20.  SF  107  WEARE  is  used  in  EL.E.,  at  least  by  Shakspere,  to  denote  exhaus- 
tion of  energy,  and  may  be  followed  by  a  predicate  adjective  denoting  the  effect  of  this 
exhaustion,  cp.  "this  exceeding  posting  .  .  Must  wear  your  spirits  low"  All's  W.  V.  I.I.  IN 
HIS  LIFE  and  IN  HIS  DEATH  both  illustrate  a  M.E.  and  e.N.  E.  idiom  by  which  IN  is  used 
to  express  the  occasion  of  an 

ACT  III  SCENE  I 


action,  cp. "  Dighton  and  For- 
rest .  .  Wept  like  to  children 
in  their  death's  sad  story," 
i.e.  at  the  sad  story  of  their 
death,  Rich.3  IV.  3- 4. 


SF  108  MY  LIEGE  is  proba- 
bly extraneous  to  the  verse, 
cp.  note  to  III.  1.40;  but  the 
passage  can  be  scanned  by 
contracting  I  AM  to  'I'm,' 
making  a  verse  with  an  extra 
impulse  before  the  cassura. 
SF  109  VILE  has  in  EL.E.  the 
sense  of  'wicked,"malicious' ; 
Coles  distinguishes  between 
"vile  (filthy),"  which  he 
glosses  sordidusj  and  "vile 
(wicked),"  which  he  glosses 
flagitiosus ;  cp.  also  "'Tis  a 
vile  thing  to  dye,  my  gracious 
lord,  When  men  are  unpre- 
par'd,  and  looke  not  for 
it"  Rich.3  III.  2.  64.       *1F  1 1 1 


I08-I  15 

SECOND  MURTHERER 

I  am  one,  my  liege, 
Whom  the  vile  blowes  and  buffets  of  the  world 
Hath  so  incens'd  that  I  am  recklesse  what 
I  doe  to  spight  the  world. 

FIRST  MURTHERER 

And  I  another, 
So  wearie  with  disasters,  tugg'd  with  fortune, 
That  I  would  set  my  life  on  any  chance, 
To  mend  it  or  be  rid  on  ?t. 
MACBETH 

Both  of  you 
Know  Banquo  was  your  enemie. 
MURTHERERS 

True,  my  lord. 


SPIGHT  is  one  of  a  group  of 
e.N.E.  forms  into  which  an  English  gh  intruded  from  the  analogy  of  'right,'  *  light,'  etc.; 
'sprightly' is  still  in  use.  SFII2  WEARIE,  almost  equivalent  to 'disgusted,' 'sick,' an  EL. 
meaning  of  the  word  recrudescent  some  years  ago  in  American  slang ;  cp.  "  wherein  we  are 
not  destitute  for  want,  But  wearie  for  the  stalenesse"  Per. V.  1.57.  DISASTERS,  not 
'calamities,'  but  'bad  luck';  the  word  originally  denotes  an  unfavorable  position  of  the 
heavenly  bodies,  cp.  Ham.  1. 1. 1 18.  TUGG'D  WITH  FORTUNE,  not  'dragged  by  fortune,' 
as  usually  understood,  but  'buffeted  by  misfortune';  cp.  Cotgrave's  gloss,  " sabouler  [the 
word  means  'to  toss  about'],  tug,  mumble,  or  scuffle  with";  " saboulement,  a  tugging  or 
scuffling  with."  In  Wint.T.  IV.  4.507  we  have  "let  my  selfe  and  fortune  Tug  for  the  time 
to  come,"  where  the  'scuffling'  notion  is  prominent.  EL.  WITH  corresponding  to  MN.E. 
'by'  has  already  been  sufficiently  illustrated.  SF  1 13  SET,  'stake,'  cp.  "Were  it  good  to 
set  the  exact  wealth  of  all  our  states  All  at  one  cast?"  lHen.4  IV.  1.45.  SFH4  RID 
ON'T:  as  to  the  usage  of  ON  for 'of,' cp.  note  to  II.  3.43.  SF 115  WAS, 'has  been,' a  M.E. 
use  of  the  imperfect  sometimes  met  with  in  e.N.E.     ENEMIE,  'en'my'  again,  as  above. 

100 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SF  1 16  IN  BLOODY  DISTANCE, 'with  bloodthirsty  enmity' (see  note  on  "bloody  cozens," 
v.  30  above)  ;  "  distance  "  here  means '  discord/  '  enmity/  N.  E.  D.  I ,  and  to  the  EL.  mind  con- 
tained no  suggestion  of  'the  distance  mortal  enemies  would  stand  from  each  other/  as  it  is 
usually  explained.    Enmity,  strife,  debate,  is  the  original  meaning  of  the  word,  and  is  found 

in  English  as  early  as  1297  ; 

ACT  III  SCENE  I 


the  modern  notion  of  'dis- 
tance' is  later,  the  first  quota- 
tion in  N.E.  D.  being  dated 
1440.  SF  117,  118  THRUSTS 
AGAINST  can  mean  'makes 
thrusts  against';  but  Cot- 
grave  glosses  renitance  by  "a 
hard  thrusting  or  endeavoring 
against,"  and  renitent  by  "re- 
sisting, indeavoring,  laboring 
or  thrusting  against"  ;  Coles 
gives  repulsus  for  "thrust 
against"  and  glosses  obdo  by 
"to  thrust  against."  Perhaps, 
therefore,  the  notion  is  one  of 
hampering  or  besetting  rather 
than  'aiming  at.'  SF  1 18  MY 
NEER'ST  OF  LIFE,  like  "their 
first  of  manhood"  V.  2. 1 1  and 
"thy  best  of  rest"  Meas.  III. 
1. 17,  is  the  EL.  partitive  form 
of  the  superlative, correspond- 
ing to  MN.E.  'the  dearest  in- 
terest of  my  life ' ;  cp.  "  which 
many  my  neere  occasions  [i.e. 
private  interests  of  my  own] 
did  urge  mee  to  put  off"  Ti- 
mon  III.  6.  II.  The  form 
NEER'ST  is  the  usual  synco- 
pated superlative  of  M.E.  and 
e.N.E.  Sri  19  BARE-FAC'D 
means  'open/  'avowed/  in 
EL.  E.,  cp.  N.E.D.  2;  the  re- 
striction of  the  word  to  its  bad  sense, 'impudent/ is  later  than  Shakspere.  *1F  120  WILL, 
'pleasure/  a  common  EL.  meaning  of  the  word:  see  Sonnet  CXXXV.  AVOUCH,  'war- 
rant/ 'stand  sponsor  for/  cp.  "if  the  duke  avouch  the  justice  of  your  dealing"  Meas. IV. 
2.200.  SFI2I  FOR, 'on  account  of," because  of.'  SF  122  WHOSE  is  the  connective  rela- 
tive, 'and  their.'  LOVES  is  another  instance  of  the  EL.  plural  of  abstract  nouns  where 
two  or  more  persons  or  things  are  concerned,  cp.  v.  70.  I  MAY  NOT  had  in  e.N.E.  the 
sense  of  'it  is  not  possible  for  me  to' :  see  the  numerous  instances  in  Schmidt  s.v.  'may' ; 
this  phrase  was  tantamount  to  'I  am  obliged  to/  with  a  verb  expressing  the  contrary  no- 
tion ;  Macbeth's  words  are  therefore  equivalent  to  'whose  good  will  I  am  obliged  to  main- 
tain.' EL. E.  permitted  certain  zeugmatic  constructions  which  are  no  longer  tolerated;  by 
one  of  these  a  word  was  expressed  in  one  sense  and  supplied  mentally  in  another,  cp.  note 
to  1.5-20-22;  such  a  zeugma  we  have  here:  the  MAY  is  first  used  as  part  of  a  negative 
notion,  'it  is  not  possible  for  me/  etc.,  then  it  is  supplied  in  its  positive  form, 'but  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  wail/  etc.  We  have  the  same  kind  of  zeugma  in  Sonnet  XXXVI,  "  I  may  not 
ever  more  acknowledge  thee  [i.e.  I  am  obliged  to  disown  thee  from  this  time  forth],  Nor 

101 


I  16-127 

MACBETH 
So  is  he  mine;   and  in  such  bloody  distance 
That  every  minute  of  his  being  thrusts 
Against  my  neer'st  of  life:  and  though  I  could 
With  bare-fac'd  power  sweepe  him  from  my 

sight 
And  bid  my  will  avouch  it,  yet  I  must  not 
For  certaine  friends  that  are  both  his  and 

mine ; 
Whose  loves  I  may  not  drop,  but  wayle  his 

fall 
Who  I  my  selfe  struck  downe:    and  thence 

it  is 
That  I  to  your  assistance  doe  make  love, 
Masking  the  businesse  from  the  common  eye 
For  sundry  weightie  reasons. 

SECOND  MURTHERER 

We  shall,  my  lord, 
Performe  what  you  command  us. 
FIRST  MURTHERER 

Though  our  lives  — 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


thou  with  public  kindness  honor  me,  Unless,  etc.,"  i.e.  and  it  is  not  possible  for  thee  to 
honour  me,  etc.  SF  1 23  WHO,  of  course,  in  MN.  E.  would  be  accusative,  but  such  case  con- 
fusions are  common  in  EL.  E. ;  thousands  of  instances  might  be  cited  from  the  best  EL. 
writers.  These  idioms  are  offensive  to  our  modern  notions  of  grammar:  modern  editors 
sometimes  alter  them  into  corresponding  MN.E.  forms,  sometimes  leave  them  alone.  SF  125 
COMMON,  'public';  this  sense  is  now  confined  to  phrases  like  'common  prayer,'  'com- 
mon carrier,'  etc.  SF  126  The  person  distinction  between  SHALL  and 'will'  is  a  MN.E. 
literary  idiom,  as  has  already 

ACT  III  SCENE  I 


been  pointed  out.  SFI27  This 
anacoluthon  is  punctuated  in 
FO.  I  with  two  short  dashes. 


128-139 


MACBETH 
Your  spirits  shine  through  you.    Within  this 

houre  at  most 
I  will  advise  you  where  to  plant  your  selvesr 
Acquaint  you  with  the  perfect  spy  oT  th'  time 
The  moment  on  't;   for 't  must  be  done  to 

night, 
And   something  from   the   pallace;    alwayes 

thought 
That  I  require  a  clearenesse :  and  with  him, 
To  leave  no  rubs  nor  botches  in  the  worke, 
Fleans  his  sonne,that  keepes  him  companie, 
Whose  absence  is  no  lesse  materiall  to  me 
Then  is  his  father's,  must  embrace  the  fate 
Of  that  darke  houre.     Resolve  your  selves 

apart: 
I  ?le  come  to  you  anon. 

tion  to  it  is  the  unusual  usage 
of  "spy"  as  a  noun  meaning  'estimate.'  Another  interpretation  was  suggested  by  John- 
son, who  took  the  statement  as  a  reference  to  the  mysterious  "third  murderer"  in  Scene 
III,  and  changed  THE  to  A:  Johnson's  change  is  no  longer  necessary  to  his  interpretation, 
for  we  now  know  that  THE  had  frequently  in  EL. E.  a  demonstrative  force  represented 
in  MN.E.  by  a  light  possessive  adjective.  Steevens  inclined  to  Johnson's  view,  but  unne- 
cessarily altered  the  comma  after  YOUR  SELVES  to  a  semicolon  so  as  to  make  ACQUAINT 
an  imperative.  If  we  adopt  it  ACQUAINT  .  .  WITH  will  mean  'cause  you  to  know,'  cp. 
Temp.  II. 2. 41  ;  THE  will  correspond  to  MN.E.  'my';  PERFECT  will  have  its  sense  of 
'well  informed,'  cp.  1.5.2;  TIME  will  refer  to  'the  opportunity  to  murder  Banquo';  THE 
MOMENT  ON  'T  will  mean  'on  the  spot'  (the  comma  after  "time"  in  FO.  I  does  not  inter- 
fere with  this  construction  because  EL.  printers  often  cut  off  such  phrases  with  commas  re- 
gardless of  their  close  relation  to  the  sentence);  and  the  following  clause,  FOR,  etc.,  will 
give  the  reason  why  the  third  murderer  has  not  been  introduced  to  them — there  is  no  time 
for  such  formalities.  The  advantage  of  this  latter  interpretation  is  that  it  affords  some 
explanation  of  the  third  murderer's  presence  in  Scene  III;  the  reason  the  second  mur- 
derer there  gives  for  trusting  him  is  "he  tells  us  just  what  to  do."  The  'third  murderer' 
is  clearly  one  of  those  hired  spies  Macbeth  speaks  of  in  III.  4. 1 3 1 >  and  to  Elizabethan  ears 

102 


<$  128  Macbeth  wants  no 
protestations  of  willingness, 
and  artfully  says  that  he  can 
see  that  they  are  determined 
men.  SPIRITS  is  here  a  mon- 
osyllable, as  often  in  EL.  E. 
For  the  notion  cp.  1.2.46  and 
1.5.27.  ^  130  PERFECT  SPY 
O'TH'TIME  has  long  been  a 
subject  of  controversy :  the 
words  are  usually  explained 
as  meaning  'the  exact  instant 
at  which  it  must  be  done'; 
this  reading  reflects  the  MN. 
E.  meanings  of  Shakspere's 
words ;  it  is  also  supported 
by  "  I  'le  spie  some  fitter  time 
soone,  or  tomorrow"  Jon- 
son's  Every  Man  in  his  Hu- 
mour, III. 3-  If  we  adopt  this 
reading  the  FOR,  etc.,  will 
express  the  reason  for  Mac- 
beth's  haste  :  the  chief  objec- 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

'the  perfect  spy'  for  'my  perfect  spy'  would  not  be  an  unfamiliar  idiom.  Various  emen- 
dations have  been  proposed,  but,  as  is  usually  the  case,  they  create  new  difficulties  without 
solving  the  old  ones.  SF  132  SOMETHING,  'somewhat,'  an  EL.  adverb,  cp.  note  to  v.  13. 
FROM  has  here  its  adverbial  sense,  'at  a  distance  from,'  still  preserved  in  the  phrase  'from 
home,'  N.E.  D.5.  ALWAYES  THOUGHT,  an  EL.  absolute  construction  meaning  'always 
bearing  in  mind';  a  similar  idiom  occurs  in  "Alwayes  conditioned  the  master  bethinke 
himselfe  where  to  his  charge  tendeth"  Florio's  Montaigne,  I.xxv.  SF  133  I  REQUIRE, 'it 
is  necessary  for  me  to  have':  a  strong  emphasis  falls  upon  I.  CLEARENESSE,  i.e.  free- 
dom from  blame,  cp.  "clearness  (from  fault),  innocentia"  Coles;  also  1.7. 18.  For  the 
indefinite  article,  see  note  to  1.7.68,  and  cp.  "ready,  or  in  a  readiness,  promptus"  Baret's 
Alvearie.  As  Steevens  pointed  out,  the  parenthesis  "alwayes  .  .  clearenesse"  was  doubt- 
less suggested  by  Holinshed's  "appointing  them  to  meet  with  the  same  Banquho  and  his 
sonne  without  the  palace  as  they  returned  to  the  palace,  and  there  to  slea  them,  so  that  he 
would  not  have  his  house  slandered,  but  that  in  time  to  come  he  might  cleare  himselfe  if  anie 
thing  were  laid  to  his  charge  upon  anie  suspicion  that  might  arise"  Boswell-Stone's  Holins- 
hed,  p.  33-      *§  134    RUBS  were  the  rough  places  on  a  bowling-green  which  deflected  the 

course  of  the  bowl ;  the  no- 

ACT  III  SCENE  I  139-142     T*SAvS£j*.$L 

BOTCHES  is  a  common  EL. 

MURTHERERS  word  for '  patches,'  see  N.  E.  D. 

We  are  resolv'd,  my  lord.      ^  136  absence,  another  of 

Macbeth's  euphemisms.  SF  137 

MACBETH  FATE,    'ruin,'    'destruction,' 

T  ,,  n  .  .,  ,  .  ,  .  ,   .  cp.  note  to  v.7I.      RESOLVE 

I  le  call  upon  you  straight:   abide  within.  your  selves,' cometo  your 

It  is  concluded.  Banquo,  thy  SOules  flight  decision,'  cp.  "Resolve  thee, 
r p  ..   £.    j     1  J   n.    j      .,         ,    .         ?,,,         Richard"  3Hen.6  1. 1.49. 

It  it  tinde  heaven  must  tinde  it  out  to  night. 

EXEUNT  <ffl39  The  two  half  verses 
make  one  of  six  rhythm  waves. 
<1F  140  I'LE  CALL  UPON  YOU,  'I  will  demand  your  services,'  N.E.D.23c;  cp.  "speake 
not  to  him  till  we  call  upon  you"  Meas.  V.  1.287.  STRAIGHT,  'immediately,'  a  common 
e.  N.  E.  sense  of  the  word.  The  EXEUNT  is  probably  only  a  rough  stage  direction,  the  mur- 
derers leaving  Macbeth  after  his  "  Abide  within."  Though  Macbeth  utters  only  the  couplet 
in  vv.  141,  142,  he  probably  walks  back  and  forth  upon  the  stage  for  a  short  interval,  giv- 
ing the  audience  the  impression  of  a  mental  struggle  which  is  brought  to  an  end  by  his 
"  It  is  concluded."  Davenant  after  this  action  introduces  a  dialogue  between  Macduff  and 
Lady  Macduff. 

INTRODUCTORY    NOTE   TO    SCENE    II 

While  the  dramatic  purpose  of  Scene  II  is  to  supply  an  interval  between  the  plot  against 
Banquo  and  Fleance  and  the  accomplishment  of  the  murder,  its  psychological  purpose,  if 
we  may  so  term  it,  is  to  join  Lady  Macbeth  and  her  husband  in  a  common  sympathy  and 
a  common  responsibility  on  the  threshold  of  this  new  murder.  This  time  the  fixed  pur- 
pose to  remove  the  menace  to  their  peace  is  Macbeth's  and  the  details  of  the  work  are  of 
his  planning:  it  is  Lady  Macbeth  who  acquiesces — "But  in  them  nature's  coppie 's  not 
eterne" — with  a  single  pregnant  utterance  whose  oracularly  grim  association  of  ideas  is 
later  reflected  in  Macbeth's  "great  bond  which  keepes  me  pale."  We  get  from  it  also  a 
clear  vision  of  the  torture  of  Macbeth's  mind  which  forms  the  prelude  to  this  second  "deed 
of  dreadfull  note."     With  a  masterly  treatment  of  detail  Shakspere  exposes  to  view  the 

103 


THE    T RAGE DIE    OF    MACBETH 

harried  soul,  fear,  doubt,  anxiety,  remorse,  all  mingling  together  in  a  Witches'  Sabbath  of 
mad  passion.  The  unrest  is  intensified  by  the  contrasted  notion  of  Duncan's  peace  —  a  peace 
which  Macbeth  cries  for  when  there  is  no  peace.  We  are  thus  prepared  for  the  mad  fits 
which  follow,  and  are  made  to  see  that  there  is  no  escape  from  them  this  side  the  grave. 
The  snake  Macbeth  and  Lady  Macbeth  have  'scorched'  is 'the  worm  that  dieth  not,' and 
their  poor  malice  will  always  be  in  danger  of  its  former  tooth — unsafe  to-morrows  stretch- 
ing out  to  the  crack  of  doom.  That  their  minds  should  break  under  such  a  strain  is 
scarcely  to  be  wondered  at  after  a  picture  like  this :  the  only  wonder  is  that  Macbeth 
should  be  able  to  resist  his  doom  so  long.  It  seems  strange  that  in  this  second  deed  of 
blood  he  should  not  take  Lady  Macbeth  with  him.  It  cannot  be  because  he  will  conceal 
it  from  her — his  references  to  Banquo  are  too  clumsy  for  that.  It  must  be  that  for  some 
reason  or  other  he  will  keep  her  out  of  the  action.  May  it  not  be  because  she  is  in  no 
physical  condition  to  endure  it  and  that  Macbeth  will  spare  her  the  strain?  He  hints  at  a 
new  fondness  for  her  in  his  "dearest  chuck,"  a  fondness  that  he  has  not  been  in  the  habit 
of  displaying.  If  we  take  this  with  Macbeth's  strange  words  in  "  she  should  have  dy'de 
heereafter"  and  their  connection,  "to  morrow  and  to  morrow  and  to  morrow"  in  V. 5. 17, 
may  we  not  see  in  this  tenderness  and  in  this  apparent  reluctance  to  make  his  wife  a  sharer 
in  the  details  of  the  second  murder  the  dim  reflection  of  a  more  definite  hope  for  the  heir 
finally  to  defeat  the  claims  of  Banquo's  line?  It  is  like  Shakspere  to  give  the  imagination 
hints  of  a  situation  which  he  does  not  explicitly  define. 


SCENE   II:   THE    PALACE 
ENTER    MACBETH'S    LADY   AND   A    SERVANT 


1-7 


LADY  MACBETH 
S  Banquo  gone  from  court? 
SERVANT 
I,madame,but  returnes  againe  to 
night. 

LADY  MACBETH 
Say  to  the  king  I  would  attend  his  leysure 
For  a  few  words. 

SERVANT 
Madame,  I  will. 

EXIT 
LADY  MACBETH 

Nought  ?s  had,  all  fs  spent, 
Where  our  desire  is  got  without  content: 
'T  is  safer  to  be  that  which  we  destroy 
Then  by  destruction  dwell  in  doubtfull  joy. 


*1F  I  The  usual  EL.  auxiliary 
with  verbs  of  motion  is  IS, 
corresponding  to  MN.  E. '  has.' 
COURT,  'the  immediate  sur- 
roundings of  the  king,'  N.  E.  D. 
6.  The  word  now  usually  re- 
fers to  a  formal  assembly  held 
by  the  sovereign.  Lady  Mac- 
beth's words  strike  the  key- 
note of  the  scene.  SF  2  I  is 
the  EL.  form  of  'Aye,'  cp. 
note  to  II.  2. 17.  SF  3  SAY 
TO  THE  KING, 'tell  the  king,' 
cp.  1.2.6.  ATTEND, 'await,' 
N.E.D.  13-  SF4  Lady  Mac- 
beth's words  are  the  conclu- 
sion, couched  in  the  form  of 
proverbs,  of  a  train  of  thought 
which  her  evident  intention  to 
speak  to  her  husband  on  the 
subject  of  his  despondency 
has  led  her  into.  Macbeth 
enters  with  the  same  thought  in  mind.  SF  6  DESTROY  in  M.  E.  and  e.  N.  E.  is  used  of  putting 
persons  as  well  as  things  out  of  existence.      It  7    DOUBTFULL,  apprehensive,  N.E.D.  5. 

104 


THE    TRAGEDIE     OF    MACBETH 


ACT  III 


SCENE  II 


-12 


*ff  8  KEEPE  ALONE:  Burton,  '  Anat.  of  Mel.'  I.  3-  i-  2r  says  that  solitariness  is  one  of  the 
symptoms  of  '  melancholy  madness' :  'they  abhor  all  companions,  at  last  even  their  near- 
est acquaintances  and  most  familiar  friends,'     In  this  solitariness  '  there  is  nothing  so  vain, 

absurd,  ridiculous,  extrava- 
gant, impossible,  incredible 
.  .  which  they  will  not  really 
fear,  feign,  suspect  and  ima- 
gine unto  themselves,'  cp.  u  of 
sorryest  fancies  your  com- 
panions making."  SF9  SOR- 
RYEST, as  in  II.  2.  21,  here 
means  'most  gloomy,'  'most 
dismal,'cp.Cent.Dict.3-  SF  10 
USING,  'making  yourself  fa- 
miliar with,'  'entertaining,'  a 
common  EL.  meaning  of  the 
word,  cp.  "  I  will  make  all 
use  of  it  [i.e.  discontent],  for 
I  use  it  onely"  Ado  1. 3. 41. 
THOUGHTS  in  M.E.  and 
e. N.E.  often  means  'anxieties,'  and  has  such  a  shade  of  meaning  here;  we  still  have  this 
sense  of  the  word  in  'take  no  thought  for  the  morrow.'  *1F  1 1  THINKE  ON,  'bring  to 
mind,'cp.  "not  a  thought  but  thinkes  on  dignitie"  2Hen.6  III.  1.338.  In  M.E.  ande.N.E. 
ALL  is  frequently  used  in  the  sense  of  'any,'  e.g.  "at  all  adventure,"  i.e.  on  any  chance, 
Golding's  Translation  of  Calvin's  Galatians,  p.  187  b.  It  is  very  frequent  after  WITHOUT, 
cp.  "without  all  helpe"  Newton's  Thebais,  Sp.  Soc,  p.  108;  "without  all  question"  James's 
Corruption  of  Scripture,  1612,  p.  23;   "without  all  vayne  glory"  Arcadia,  p.  19  b. 

SFI3  SCORCH'D, 'hacked,' 'lacerated' ;  the  Cambridge  Text  and  most  modern  editors 
print  Theobald's  '  scotch'd'  for  Shakspere's  "  scorch'd."  Modern  editors  of  Beaumont  and 
Fletcher  likewise  change  the  text   of  the  'Knight  of  the   Burning  Pestle'  1 1 1. 4,  where 

"scorcht  and  scored  in  this 


ENTER  MACBETH 

How  now,  my  lord!  why  doe  you  keepe  alone, 
Of  sorryest  fancies  your  companions  making, 
Using  those  thoughts  which  should  indeed 

have  dy'd 
With  them  they  thinke  on  ?    Things  without 

all  remedie 
Should  be  without  regard:   what's  done  is 

done. 


ACT  III 


SCENE  II 


13-15 


MACBETH 
We  have  scorch'd  the  snake,  not  kill'd  it: 
Shee'le  close  and  be  her  selfe,  whilest  our 

poore  mallice 
Remaines  in  danger  of  her  former  tooth. 


inhuman  wise  "-occurs,  alter- 
ing the  EL.  "scorcht"  to 
'scotcht.'  The  word"  scorch" 
is  a  derivative  verb  from 
"  score  "  and  means '  to  hack.' 
InRhodes's  Bookof  Nurture, 
1577,  a  boy  is  told  "With 
knyfe  scortche  not  the  boorde 
[i.e.  table] "  Babees  Book, 
E.E.T.S.,  p.  80.  Shakspere 
uses  the  word  also  in  Err.  V. 
1. 183  in  the  sense  of  lacerare,  'to  tear' :  "and  vowes  .  .  To  scorch  your  face  and  to  dis- 
figure you,"  where  some  modern  editors  strangely  understand  'to  singe,'  and  Warburton 
and  Dyce  emend  the  text  to 'scotch.'  This,  like  so  many  other  alleged  misprints  in 
Shakspere,  is  therefore  a  creature  of  the  editorial  imagination.  SF  14  SHEE  'LE  :  the  word 
'snake'  is  feminine  as  well  as  neuter  in  EL.  E.  CLOSE,  'come  together,'  'join,'  cp.  "As 
many  lynes  close  in  the  dial's  center"  Hen.  5  1. 2. 2 10.  For  the  whole  notion,  cp.  "The  sillie 
serpent  found  by  country  swaine  And  cut  in  peeces  [i.e.  scorched]  by  his  furious  blowes 
Yet  if  his  [genitive  of  '  it ']  head  do  scape  away  untoucht,  As  many  write,  it  very  strangelye 
goes  To  fetch  an  herbe,  with  which  in  little  time  Her  battred  corpes  again  she  doth  con- 
joyne"   Greene's  Alphonsue,  1577,  308-313-     POORE   MALLICE,  'ineffective  influence 

105 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


for  evil/  one  of  those  marvellously  tense  expressions  of  Shakspere's  so  hard  to  render 
into  MN.E.  terms.  The  word  "mallice"  in  EL.E.  connotes  'influence  for  evil'  as  well  as 
'desire  to  do  evil,'  cp.  v.  25.  SF  15  FORMER,  'formerly  possessed,'  cp.  "I  'le  worke  My 
selfe  a  former  fortune"  Cor. 


V.3.20I. 


ACT  III 


SCENE  II 


But  let  the  frame  of  things  dis-joynt, 
Both  the  worlds  suffer,  16 

Ere  we  will  eate  our  meale  in  feare,  and  sleepe 
In  the  affliction  of  these  terrible  dreames 
That  shake  us  nightly:    better  be  with  the 

dead, 
Whom  we,  to  gayne  our  peace,  have  sent  to 

peace, 
Then  on  the  torture  of  the  minde  to  lye 
In  restlesse  extasie.   Duncane  is  in  his  grave ; 
After  life's  fitfull  fever  he  sleepes  well; 
Treason  has  done  his  worst:  nor  Steele  nor 

poyson, 
Mallice  domestique,  forraine  levie,  nothing. 
Can  touch  him  further. 


16-26 

SFI6  FRAME  OF  THINGS, 
'the  established  order  of 
things,'  N.  E.  D.  4  ;  but  pos- 
sibly Macbeth  means  'the 
earth' :  Hamlet  speaksof  "this 
goodly  frame  the  earth"  II. 
2.309.  In  Shakspere's  time 
the  word  was  common  in  this 
sense,  see  N.  E.  D.  8.  DIS- 
JOYNT,  'fall  to  pieces,'  N.  E.  D. 
4,  cp.  "Our  state  to  be  dis- 
joynt  and  out  of  frame  "  Ham. 
1.2.20.  BOTHTHEWORLDS, 
'both  hemispheres,'  'the  whole 
world,'  cp.  II.  1.49;  Delius 
explains  as  'the  terrestrial 
and  the  celestial  worlds,'  and 
illustrates  by  "both  the  worlds 
I  give  to  negligence"  Ham. 
IV.  5- 134.  SUFFER:  CI.  Pr. 
glosses  'perish,'  and  perhaps 
rightly,  citing  "  I  have  suf- 
fered with  those  I  saw  suf- 
fer" Temp.  1.2.6.  This  meaning  of  the  word,  however,  is  an  unusual  extension  of  the 
sense  'suffer  loss  or  injury.'  The  passage  is  here  printed  as  in  FO.  I  :  the  Cambridge 
Text  makes  a  single  verse  of  "But  .  .  suffer";  we  frequently  have  incomplete  verses 
in  Macbeth,  and  these  two,  one  of  four  waves  and  one  of  two  and  a  half,  admirably  suit 
the  "extasie"  of  Macbeth's  utterance.  But  if  we  read  "th' worlds"  and  "th"fliction" 
(for  which  there  is  ample  warrant  in  EL.  prosody),  ending  the  verses  at  "worlds"  and 
"fear,"  the  whole  passage  can  be  made  metrical.  SF  17  MEALE  in  EL.E.  is  often  sin- 
gular as  here,  cp.  "Whose  houres,  whose  bed,  whose  meale  and  exercise"  Cor.  IV. 4. 14. 
SFI8  TERR'BLE,  as  frequently  in  EL.E.  SF  19  SHAKE,  an  anticipation  of  the  "fitfull 
fever"  below.  SF  20  Many  modern  editors,  quite  missing  the  deep  meaning  in  GAYNE 
OUR  PEACE,  would  alter  "peace"  to  'state'  or  'seat'  or  'pangs';  others  follow  the 
'place'  of  FOS.  2,  3>  and  4.  Macbeth's  effort  to  "gayne  peace"  when  there  is  no  peace 
is  the  motive  of  his  murder  of  Banquo ;  and  now,  as  he  looks  back  over  the  ten  years 
of  his  reign,  he  thinks  of  Duncan's  murder,  too,  as  having  been  contrived  to  gain  peace, — 
as  it  really  was,  a  peace  from  his  restless  ambition, —  the  lurid  light  of  his  agony  mould- 
ing the  act  into  the  form  of  this  subsequent  bitter  experience.  To  alter  the  word  to 
'place'  is  almost  as  fatal  as  would  be  a  change  of  "poore  mallice,"  above,  to  'sore  mal- 
ice.' HAVE  SENT  TO  PEACE  is  a  beautiful  euphemism  whose  sense  is  fortunately 
not  lost  from  MN.  E.  SF  2 1  TORTU  RE,  i.e.  the  rack  ;  Shakspere  uses  the  word  as  mean- 
ing an  instrument  of  torture  in  "He  calles  for  the  tortures,  what  will  you  say  without 
'em?"  All's  W.  IV.  3. 137.  SF22  RESTLESSE, 'that  gives  no  rest,' cp.  "restlesse  cares" 
Rich.3  I.4.8I.  EXTASIE,  'madness,'  'the  state  of  being  out  of  one's  mind,'  cp.  IV. 
3.170.  Burton,  'Anat.  of  Mel.'  I.I.i.4,  does  not  define  it  clearly,  though  he  leaves  it 
to  be  inferred  that  ecstasy  is  a  form  of  temporary  mental  alienation.     The  notion  Mac- 

106 


* 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

beth  here  expresses  is  found  also  in  Meas.V.  1. 401  :  "  But  peace  be  with  him  !  That  life 
is  better  life,  past  fearing  death,  Then  that  which  lives  to  feare";  Ben  Jonson  has  the 
same  idea  in  Every  Man  in  his  Humour,  III. 3-  "No  greater  hell  than  to  be  slave  to 
feare."  Montaigne,  too,  Florio's  translation,  I.xxiii,  tells  the  story  of  how  a  fugitive  gave 
himself  up  to  his  pursuers,  "calling  to  minde  .  .  how  much  better  it  were  for  him  to  die 
once  than  live  in  such  continuall  feare  and  agonie,"  adding  that  this  "were  better  .  . 
than  remaine  still  in  the  continuall  fit  of  such  a  fever  that  hath  no  remedie"  (see  the  next 
note).  SF23  FITFULL  FEVER  has  gone  into  the  language  from  this  passage  with  the 
stereotyped  connotation  of  'the  feverish  anxieties  of  life':  but  "fever"  in  EL.E.  usually 
suggests  the  intermittent  fever  of  an  ague,  hence  the  epithet  "fitfull."  In  Shakspere's 
time  "fitfull"  had  not  the  general  meaning  of  'changing  or  spasmodic':  according  to 
N.E. D.,  Scott,  1810,  is  the  first  to  use  it  in  this  sense.  Both  words  had  in  EL.E.  a 
special  reference  to  insanity,  which  was  formerly  viewed  as  a  periodic  disease  of  the 
nature  of  a  fever;  see  N.E.D.  'fit'  3  b.  In  Titus  IV.  1. 17  we  have:  "Unlesse  some  fit 
or  frenzie  do  possesse  her,"  and  in  Temp. 1. 2. 208 :  "Not  a  soule  But  felt  a  feaver  of  the 
maddeand  plaid  Some  tricks  of  desperation"  ;  and  see  Lady  Macbeth's  words  in  III. 4. 55- 
The  picture  of  Duncan's  reign  which  Macbeth  gives  in  1.7. 1 6  ff.  does  not  justify  his 
description  of  Duncan's  life  as  a  "fitfull  fever"  ;  but  Macbeth  now  reflects  his  own  unrest 
upon  all  life.  HE  SLEEPES  WELL:  "he"  and  "well"  have  primary  stress,  and  "sleepes" 
a  heavy  secondary  stress,  the  rhythm  reflecting  the  notion  in  the  words.  Shakspere,  in 
depicting  these  'fine  frenzies'  of  Macbeth,  touches  his  language  with  a  poetic  magic  re- 
flecting the  rich  associations  with  which  his  overwrought  thought  is  charged.  SF  24  HIS 
is  the  EL.  genitive  of  'it.'  The  double  NOR  construction  is  still  in  use  in  poetry:  'neither 
. .  nor'is  the  corresponding  MN.E. prose  idiom.  SF  25  MALLICE:  see  note  tov.I4.  DOMES- 
TIQUE,  i.e.  'at  home':  for  the  spelling  see  note  to  1.3-78.  FORRAINE, '  abroad,'  con- 
trasted with  "domestique"  :  the  word  is  now  obsolete  in  this  sense,  see  N.  E.  D.  I  b.  This 
spelling  is  common  in  Shakspere's  time  and  represents  the  M.  E.  form,  cp.  O.  FR.  forein  : 
the  gn  of  the  modern  form — it  dates  from  the  1 6th  century  —  is  probably  due  to  such 
words  as 'sovereign,'  'reign.'     LEVIE  in  MN.  E.  means  'a  body  of  troops  levied' ;  in  EL.E. 

it  can  mean  'the  act  of  levy- 

ACT  III  SCENE  II  26-28    JayS^JJ.*.  22S3 

frequent  in   Shakspere ;    cp. 

LADY  MACBETH  IV.  3.  14    and    "Seeing    his 

Come  on  reputation  touch'd  to  death" 

G,.  1       j         1       1  »  ^^    J       Timon  III. 5.  19. 

entie    my   lord,   sleeke   o  re   your    rugged 

lookes;  SF26  come  on   in   el.  e. 

Be  bridht  and  joviall  amond  your  duests  to-     ffn  correspond  to  'come!' 

o  J  o  J  o  'have    done    with    this,     cp. 

ni^ht.  "Come  on,  sir  knave,  have 

done  your  foolishnes"  Err.  I. 
2.72;  despite  the  colon  after  the  word  in  FO.  I,  it  seems  to  have  this  sense  here,  cp. 
Lady  Macbeth's  "You  must  leave  this"  in  v. 35.  Lady  Macbeth  recognizes  in  her  hus- 
band's overwrought  language  and  distorted  features  the  imminence  of  one  of  his  hallucina- 
tion periods,  and  tries  to  guide  his  thoughts  into  safer  channels.  SF  27  GENTLE  MY  LORD 
is  common  EL.  word  order  for  'my  noble  lord,' cp.  "gracious  my  lord"  V.  5- 30.  SLEEKE, 
'smooth  out,' cp.  "To  sleek  (make  sleek),  Icevigo"  Coles,  and  "A  locksmith  .  .  smotheth 
[glossed  "maketh  sleek"  in  margin  and  referred  to  as  "to  sleek"  in  index]  the  roughnesse 
with  a  plane"  Comenius,  'Janua'  532;  Drayton  in  '  Barrons  Warres'  III. 47  also  has 
"sleek  every  little  dimple  of  the  lake"  (cited  by  Cent.  Diet.).  RUGGED,  'wrinkled': 
Comenius,  'Janua'  77,  speaks  of  the  earth  as  being  "cragged  or  rugged,"  translating  con- 
fragosa  ;  and  Spenser  in  the  Prologue  to  Book  IV  of  the  Faerie  Queene  writes  "The  rugged 

107 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH  | 

forhead  that  with  grave  foresight  Wields  kingdomes,  causes,  and  affaires  of  state"  (cited 
by  the  Cent.  Diet.) ;  Cotgrave  defines  rugueux  by  "rugged,  wrinkled"  ;  the  Glossographia 
gives  "  rugosity  ;  ruggedness,  a  being  full  of  wrinkles."  So  we  are  not  justified  in  assuming 
that  LOOKES  is  a  misprintfor 

ACT  III  SCENE  II 


Mocks'  even  though  Shak 
spere  has  elsewhere  used 
"rugged"  to  mean  'ruffled.' 
SF  28  is  a  six-wave  verse  un- 
less we  read  "'mong"  for 
AMONG. 

SF30  REMEMBRANCE  (four 
syllables,  cp.  note  to  1.5-40), 
'consideration,'  as  in  "One 
thus  descended  .  .  we  did 
commend  To  your  remem- 
brances" Cor.II.3.253.  AP- 
PLY, 'attend  assiduously,' 
N.E.D.  15.  SF3I  PRESENT, 
'show,'  cp.  "Yet  oftentimes 
it  [i.e.  your  fault]  doth  present 
harshrage"lHen.4III.I.I83. 
EMINENCE,  'deference,'  cp. 
"  Equity  is  a  due  to  people 
as  eminency  is  to  princes" 
Ward,  1647,  cited  in  N.E.D. 
s.v.1  eminency '6.  SF  32  UN- 
SAFE THE  WHILE,  etc.,  has 
caused  great  difficulty  to 
Shakspere  editors,  and  va- 
rious far-fetched  attempts 
have  been  made  to  botch  the 

text  into  MN.E.  sense.  But  such  syntax  as  we  have  here,  through  which  both  subject 
and  predicate  are  left  to  be  supplied  mentally  from  the  context,  is  not  uncommon  in  EL.  E. 
Another  such  idiom  appears  in  111.4.31?  "  [he  hath]  no  teeth  for  th' present";  also  in 
Tro.&Cr.  IV. 4.57,  "  [there  is]  no  remedy";  and  in  Jonson's  Every  Man  in  his  Humour, 
III. 3  (cited  above),  "[there  is]  no  greater  hell  than  to  be  slave  to  fear"  ;  likewise  in  Bur- 
ton's Anatomy,  1.2.  ii.  7, '  Nothing  better  than  moderate  sleep,  nothing  worse  than  it  if  it  be 
in  extremes.'  And  such  instances  could  be  indefinitely  multiplied.  The  thought,  then, 
resumes  that  of  v. 29,  'I  shall  be  jovial  and  so,  I  pray,  be  you;  but  we  are  insecure  so 
long  as  we,'  etc.  The  use  of  SAFE  in  the  sense  of  'secure'  has  already  been  noted.  It 
is  Macbeth's  insecurity  that  is  gall  and  wormwood  to  him.  THE  WHILE  is  adverbially 
used  in  M.E.  and  e.  N.E.,  and  here  means  'so  long  as,'  THAT  being  the  strengthening 
particle.  In  FO.  I  there  is  a  comma  after  "that,"  which  has  led  modern  editors  to  read 
"that"  as  tantamount  to  'in  that.'  But  in  EL.  punctuation  a  subordinate  clause,  no 
matter  what  its  relation  to  the  context,  is  cut  off  by  commas.  Macbeth  is  thinking  of 
Banquo's  "being"  as  the  menace  to  his  peace.  Vv.  3I»  32  are  here  printed  as  in  FO.  I  : 
the  Cambridge  Text  prints  Unsafe  .  .  we,  an  imperfect  verse,  followed  by  Must  .  . 
streams,  a  complete  one.  IF  34  VIZARDS,  'masks,'  cp.  L.L.L.  V.2.242.  SF35  YOU 
MUST  LEAVE  THIS,  'you  must  cease  to  think  of  this,'  N.E.D.  'leave'  1 1  ;  cp.  "  But  leav- 
ing this,  what  is  your  grace's  pleasure?"  Rich. 3  III.  7. 108.  SF  37  Again  the  singular  verb 
with  the  plural  subject.  SF38  NATURE'S  COPPIE  S  NOT  ETERNE, 'life's  tenure  in  them 
is  terminable':   Lady  Macbeth  uses  legal  phraseology;  "copy"  in  EL.E.  was  a  'holding 

108 


29-38 

MACBETH 
So  shall  I,  love;    and  so,  I  pray,  be  you: 
Let  your  remembrance  apply  to  Banquo; 
Present  him   eminence,  both   with   eye  and 

tongue: 
Unsafe  the  while  that  wee  must  lave 
Our  honors  in  these  flattering  streames, 
And  make  our  faces  vizards  to  our  hearts, 
Disguising  what  they  are. 

LADY  MACBETH 

You  must  leave  this. 
MACBETH 
O,  full  of  scorpions  is"  my  minde,  deare  wife! 
Thou  know'st  that  Banquo  and  his  Fleans 
lives. 

LADY  MACBETH 
But  in  them  nature's  coppie  's  not  eterne. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

by  copy/  which,  as  defined  by  Cowel,  is  "a  tenure  for  which  the  tenant  hath  nothing  to 
show  but  the  copy  of  the  Rolls  made  by  the  Steward  of  the  Lord's  Court  [i.e.  the  mano- 
rial court-roll]."  Cowel  says  that  these  copyholds  vary  with  the  customs  of  the  manor, 
which  are  infinite;  some  of  them  are  "fineable  at  will";  some  "certain,"  i.e.  the  next  of 
blood  inherits  on  payment  of  a  customary  fine.  NATURE,  here  used  in  its  common  EL. 
sense  of  'life,'  is  thought  of  as  residing  in  Banquo  and  Fleance  as  if  holding  a  manorial 
tenancy  from  the  Sovereign  of  Life.  Lady  Macbeth  remarks  that  this  tenure  is  terminable, 
darkly  hinting  at  a  "deed  of  dreadfull  note."  And  by  this  hint  not  only  does  she  show  that 
she  has  read  the  thought  which  lies  behind  her  husband's  "Thou  know'st  that  Banquo  and 
his  Fleans  lives,"  but  she  also  includes  herself  in  this  second  plot,  and  invites  her  share 
of  the  doom  which  follows.  In  her  delirium  (cp.  V.  I )  she  is  haunted  by  the  murder  of  Ban- 
quo  as  well  as  by  the  blood  of  Duncan.    ETERNE,  an  earlier  form  of  'eternal,'  O.FR.  eterne, 

which  was  evidently  becom- 

ACT  III  SCENE  II  39-44     ^ttZ^t^ 

and  in  Ham. II. 2.512  ;   but  it 

MACBETH  is  not  uncommon  in  EL.  prose 

There's  comfort  yet;   they  are  assaileable;      and  poetry,  see  n.e.d.  1. 

Then  be  thou  jocund:  ere  the  bathath  flowne      ^  jocuND,'wellPleased,' 

His  cloyster'd  flight,  ere  to  black  Heccat's     'joyful,'  see  n.e.d.  b.    SF 41 

Summons  CLOYSTER'D,    'confined    to 

rr,1         111  11  111  1  cloisters,' 'cloister  haunting,' 

1  he  shard-borne  beetle  with  his  drowsie  hums     acurioususeoftheword.  to 
Hath  rung  night's  yawning  peale,  there  shall      'in  accord  with,"  in  obedience 

1         1  to,'  cp.  "a  souldier   Even  to 

De   a0ne  Cato's[FO.I"calves"]wish" 

A  deed  of  dreadfull  note.  Cor.  1.4. 56.     black,    cp. 

LADY  MACBETH  "  Blacke  is  the  badge  of  hell, 

.„.  f  1         1  1       t  e     ue  °*  dungeons,  and  the 

What  S  to  be  done.''  schoole  [an  EL.  variant  spell- 
ing of  u  skull," '  headarmour '] 
of  night"  L.L.L.  IV. 3. 254.  HECCAT,  again  the  dissyllabic  form  with  stress  on  the  first 
syllable;  cp.  note  to  II.  1.52.  SF 42  Many  of  the  earlier  commentators  of  Shakspere 
took  the  SHARD-BORNE  BEETLE  for  a  scarab  or  sort  of  tumble-bug  born  in 'shards' 
or  rubbish.  But  the  reference  to  the  insect's  "drowsie  hums"  in  the  evening  shows  that 
it  is  the  tree-beetle  that  Shakspere  means.  He  distinguishes  this  insect  from  other 
beetles  by  describing  it  as  borne  up  by  "  shards,"  or  scaly  wing-cases.  Beetles  and 
locusts  were  not  sharply  distinguished  in  Shakspere's  time,  and  it  is  the  locust  or  hanne- 
ton  which  Muffet  thus  describes  in  his  '  Insectorum  Theatrum' :  "The  tree  beetle  is  very 
common  and  everywhere  to  be  met  with,  especially  in  the  moneths  of  July  and  August 
after  sunset :  for  then  it  flyeth  giddily  in  men's  faces  with  a  great  humming  and  loud 
noise."  Cotgrave,  s.v.  hanneton,  speaks  of  their  scaly  wing-cases  as  a  characteristic. 
Ben  Jonson  refers  to  their  wing-cases  as  "habergeons"  in  "The  scaly  beetles,  with  their 
habergeons,  That  make  a  humming  murmur  as  they  fly,"  and  makes  them  the  instruments 
of  witches  in  The  Sad  Shepherd  II.  2.  SHARD  is  not  an  uncommon  name  of  the  ely- 
trum  of  the  beetle:  Shakspere  uses  it  in  Ant.&Cl.  III.2.20,  "They  are  his  shards  and 
he  their  beetle,"  and  in  Cym. III. 3-20,  "The  sharded-beetle."  Chapman,  1614  (cited  by 
Steevens),  reflects  a  popular  superstition  that  associates  this  insect  with  death  bodings : 
"  The  beetle  . .  with  his  knoll-like  [i.e.  knell-like]  humming  gave  the  dor  of  death  to  men  [gave 
them  the  mock  of  death,  i.e.  sleep],"  hence  "  hath  rung  night's  yawning  peale."  SF  43  YAWN- 
ING,'  drowsy,'  cp.  Coles,  "  yawning,  oscitabundus"  and  "  The  lazie  yawning  drone  "  Hen. 5 
1.2.204.      *TF 44    NOTE,  'importance,'  cp.  "he  is  one  of  the  noblest  note"  Cym.  1.6.22. 

109 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SF45  INNOCENT,  a  dissyllable.  DEAREST  CHUCK  is  a  term  of  endearment  used  also 
in  L.L.L.  V.2.667  and  Hen. 5  III.  2.  25.  SF  46  With  an  exquisite  transition,  Shakspere 
makes  Macbeth  demand  of  nature  the  same  secrecy  which  he  has  been  asking  of  Lady 
Macbeth.  SEELING  is  an  EL.  term  of  falconry  denoting  the  sewing  up  of  the  hawk's 
eyelids.  It  had  a  general  application  to  hoodwinking,  however,  as  is  shown  by  Cotgrave's 
u  siller  les  yeux,to  seele  or  sew  up  the  eye-lids  and  thence  also  to  hoodwinke,  blind,  keepe 
in      darknesse,     deprive     of 

ACT  III  SCENE  II 


sight,"  cp.  "to  seele  her 
father's  eyes  up  close  as 
oake"  Oth.III.3.2IO.  SF 47 
SKARFE  UP,  'blindfold,'  cp. 
"imbendare,  to  inscarfe,  to 
blind  fould"  Florio.  PITTI- 
FULL:  in  EL.E.  the  word 
was  subjectively  as  well  as 
objectively  used,  and  could 
mean  'feeling  pity'  as  well  as 
'exciting  pity,'  cp.  "good 
ground,  be  pittifull  and  hurt 
me  not"  John  IV.3-2.  The 
word  was  often  syncopated 
to  "pit'ful"  in  M.  E.  and 
e.N.E.  ^48  INVISIBLEalso 
is  probably  meant  to  be  syn- 
copated, cp.  "Which  now  in 
visible  hatred  are  burst  out" 
Jonson,'Sejanus'lV.3.  SF  49 
"Death  cancells  all  bonds" 
was  a  commonplace  in  Shak- 
spere's  time,  cp.  "The  com- 
mon saying  is  that  death 
acquits  us  of  all  our  bonds" 
Florio's  Montaigne, I.  vii.  The 
phrase  occurs  in  another 
form  in  lHen.4  III.2.I57,"the 
end  of  life  cancells  all  bands." 
Shakspere  employs  the  can- 
celling of  the  bond  of  life  as 


45-56 


MACBETH 
Be  innocent  of  the  knowledge,  dearest  chuck, 
Till  thou  applaud  the  deed.    Come,  seeling 

night, 
Skarfe  up  the  tender  eye  of  pittifull  day, 
And  with  thy  bloodie  and  invisible  hand 
Cancell  and  teare  to  pieces  that  great  bond 
Which  keepes  me  pale !     Light  thickens,  and 

the  crow 
Makes  wing  toth'  rookie  wood: 
Good  things   of  day  begin   to    droope    and 

drowse, 
Whiles  night's  black  agents  to  their  preys 

doe  rowse. 
Thou  marvell'st  at  my  words:  but  hold  thee 

still; 
Things  bad  begun  make  strong  themselves 

by  ill: 
So,  prythee,  goe  with  me. 

EXEUNT 


a  euphemism  for  death  in 
"Cancell  his  bond  of  life,  deere  God,  I  pray"  Rich.3  IV. 4. 77,  and  in  "great  powres  .  . 
take  this  life  and  cancell  these  cold  bonds"  Cym.V.4. 26.  Macbeth  invokes  night,  whom 
he  now  thinks  of  as  death,  to  cancel  the  bond  of  Banquo's  life  and  thus  tear  in  pieces 
the  deed  (cp.  N.E.D.  'bond'  9)  by  which  the  'great  powers'  have  bound  themselves  to 
confer  the  sovereignty  on  Banquo's  issue.  In  this  latter  sense  of  'instrument  of  obliga- 
tion' the  word  "bond"  had  a  wider  application  in  EL.E.  than  in  MN.E.,  e.g.  in  The  Mer- 
chant of  Venice  a  promissory  note  is  a  bond,  and  we  have  "take  a  bond  of  fate"  in 
IV.  1.84.  The  blending  of  two  meanings  of  a  word  or  phrase  in  a  harmonious  union  so 
close  as  to  present  but  a  single  idea  is  a  characteristic  of  Shakspere's  English.  It  is 
the  implied  obligation  in  the  witches'  prophecy  that  keeps  Macbeth  pale,  and  his  words 
here  are  but  the  nearer  echo  of  his  invocation  of  the  powers  of  darkness  and  ruin  to 
champion  him  to  the  uttermost.  In  the  literal  sense  Banquo's  bond  of  life  includes 
Fleance's  also ;  and  when  they  embrace  the  fate  of  their  dark  hour  death  will  cancel  the 
great  bond  by  making  it  impossible  of  fulfilment,  and  thus  will  Macbeth  cheat  the  powers 

110 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

of  destiny.  The  verse  division  of  FO.  I  for  vv.  50  and  51  is  "Which  .  .  thickens,  And 
.  .  wood";  the  modern  verse  division,  'Which  .  .  crow,  Makes  .  .  wood,'  is  Rowe's. 
Some  editors,  convinced  that  "Makes  .  .  wood"  is  a  verse  accidentally  incomplete,  at- 
tempt to  restore  it :  Keightley  clapped  to  it  the  patch  'on  earth  below/  binding  woolsey  on 
a  coat  of  silk.  The  broken  line  would  come  more  naturally  after  "pale,"  but  that  would 
make  v.  51  a  verse  of  six  waves,  so  perhaps  Rowe's  division  is  the  better.  SF  50  THICK- 
ENS, 'becomes  obscure,'  cp.  "thy  luster  thickens  When  he  shines  by"  Ant.&Cl.  II.  3.  27. 
*1F  5  I  ROOKIE  :  a  large  class  of  adjectives  in  EL.  E.  were  formed  by  adding  -y  to  a  noun 
or  to  another  adjective  stem  with  the  sense  of  'abounding  in,T  'full  of/  'characterized  by' ; 
e.g.  "helly"  for  hell-like,  Heywood's  Hercules  Furens,  Sp.  Soc,  p.  14,  "shelfye,"  abound- 
ing in  shoals,  ibid.,  p.  I5>  "dampy,"  full  of  damp,  Drayton's  Heroicall  Epistles,  p.  53  J  so 
"  roundy  "  Sidney's  Arcadia,  "  hugy  "  Peele's  Clyomon  and  Clamydes,  and  a  host  of  others. 
Most  of  these  have  disappeared  in  MN.E.  The  MN.E.  distinction  between  a  crow,  'a 
large  black  bird  that  feeds  on  carrion/  and  a  rook,  corvus  frugilegus,  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  always  observed  in  EL.E.  Rooks  are  still  called  crows  in  northern  England 
and  Scotland,  and  crow  is  still  the  generic  name  for  both  rooks  and  crows  in  the  United 
States.  Shakspere  calls  the  boy  who  frightens  away  the  rooks  a  "crow-keeper"  in 
Rom.&Jul.  1.4.6,  and  Kersey,  1708,  defines  a  rook  as  a  "bird  that  preys  upon  carrion." 
There  is,  therefore,  no  inconsistency  in  Shakspere's  making  CROWS  fly  to  the  ROOKIE 
WOOD  as  Steevens  supposed,  and  such  emendations  as  'rook  i'  th'/  'reeky/  'murky/  etc., 
for  "rookie"  are  fortunately  unnecessary  here.  Other  editors  with  some  reason  have 
thought  that  ROOKIE  was  the  EL.  form  of  the  M.E.  word  found  in  the  Promptorium 
Parvulorum  :  "roky  or  mysty,  nebulosus,"  "roke,  myste,  nebula.11  This  word,  at  least  in 
its  noun  form,  was  current  in  literary  EL.E.,  as  is  shown  by  Levin's  Manipulus  Vocabu- 
lorum,  1570,  which  glosses  pruina  by  "ye  hore  roke,"  i.e.  the  mist  which  settles  over 
hoar-frost.  Kersey  has  it  in  1708:  "roke,  as  'To  make  one's  self  all  in  a  roke/  i.e.  to 
put  one's  self  into  a  great  sweat."  The  word  is  still  common  in  dialects  and  is  used  by 
Tennyson:  see  Cent.  Diet.  It  is  quite  possible,  therefore,  that  "rookie"  of  FO.  I  is  a 
printer's  error  for  '  roakie '  or  '  rokie/  as  may  be  the  "  schoole  "  for  '  schole '  in  1. 7. 6.  And 
here,  as  in  I.  7.  6,  it  happens  that  both  words  make  good  Shaksperian  sense,  'the  cawing 
rooks'  or  'the  evening  mists.'  But  as  the  text  is  for  "rookie,"  pronounced  almost  as  in 
MN.E.,  instead  of  'rokie'  (rhyming  with  'smoky'),  perhaps  it  is  better  to  adhere  to  the 
former  interpretation.  Any  one  who  has  noticed  the  rooks  settling  down  for  the  night 
into  the  tops  of  tall  elm  trees,  as  they  do,  for  instance,  in  the  trees  about  Magdalen  Col- 
lege, will  not  have  difficulty  in  understanding  Shakspere's  "rookie  wood."  SF  52  GOOD 
THINGS  OF  DAY  seems  to  be  a  reminiscence  of  a  passage  from  Euripides  current  in 
EL.  E. ;  Steevens  cites  it  from  Ascham's  Toxophilus  :  "  II  thynges  the  nyght,  good  thynges 
the  day  doth  haunt  and  use."  SF  53  BLACK  AGENTS, 'dark  influences.'  PREYS  (mis- 
printed "prey's"  in  FO.  I):  the  usual  EL.  distributive  plural,  cp.  note  to  III.  1. 122.  SF  54 
MARVELL'ST:  the  second  personal  verb  ending  was  often  thus  syncopated  in  M.E.  and 
e.  N.  E. ;  such  forms  are  now  usually  confined  to  short  words  like  '  dost/  '  hast/  etc.  HOLD 
THEE  STILL,  'have  patience/ probably  in  anticipation  of  such  a  protest  from  Lady  Mac- 
beth as  in  III.  2. 35.  SF  55  BAD,  the  EL.  adverb.  SF  56  PRYTHEE,  cp.  note  to  L7.45. 
This  is  the  second  time  that,  as  the  dark  and  evil  powers  of  his  character  rouse  them- 
selves to  their  task,  Macbeth  reflects  his  mood  of  darkness  upon  the  face  of  nature.  In 
II.I.49ff-»  as  he  goes  to  murder  Duncan,  dead  nature,  deceiving  dreams,  witchcraft,  pale 
Hecate,  stalking  murder,  the  howling  wolf,  the  dull  and  sleepy  earth  add  their  present  horror 
to  the  time.  So  here,  with  a  few  touches  of  association, — and  it  is  marvellous  how  few  they 
are :  the  deepening  light,  the  cawing  rooks,  plants  and  animals  drooping  and  drowsing  to 
healthy  rest  while  the  mysterious  forces  of  darkness  stir  themselves  to  their  nightly  ac- 
tivity,—  Shakspere  tunes  Macbeth's  soul  into  unison  with  the  mysterious  powers  of  evil 
that  fly  by  night.  It  is  this  mystery  of  evil,  this  bloody  and  invisible  hand  of  the  night 
groping  for  human  souls  out  of  that  realm  of  dark  imagination  to  which  the  human  mind  has 

III 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

given  a  local  habitation  and  a  name  in  its  eerie  folk-lore,  that  is  the  deep  undercurrent  of 
interest,  lending,  even  at  this  late  day,  a  sort  of  fascination  to  the  tragedy  of  Macbeth.  We 
catch  an  early  glimpse  of  this  eerie  world  as  we  learn  in  childhood  the  story  of  Saul  and 
the  witch  of  Endor,  and  there  are  indeed  few  of  us  who  ever  quite  forget  its  essential 
tragedy. 


INTRODUCTORY    NOTE    TO    SCENE    III 

The  scene  begins  in  medias  res  :  the  murderers  have  already  met  and  planned  their  attack  ; 
the  third  murderer  has  instructed  the  other  two  as  to  just  what  they  are  to  do,  vv.  2  and  3« 
He  himself  does  not  seem  to  take  an  actual  part  in  the  encounter,  but  merely  superintends 
it:  this  points  strongly  to  his  being  Macbeth's  "perfect  spy."  It  is  he  who  has  planned 
out  the  details  ;  it  is  he  who  knows  the  courtiers'  habit  of  walking  through  the  palace  yard. 
When  Macbeth  speaks  to  the  two  in  III.  1. 129  ff.  he  gives  them  no  plan  of  action  :  he  only 
asks  them  to  make  up  their  minds.  This  third  murderer  must  therefore  be  "the  perfect 
spy  o'th'time"  referred  to  in  III.  1. 30,  or 'a  perfect  spy  of  the  time'  in  Macbeth's  employ 
introduced  here  in  order  to  give  the  scene  more  lifelikeness.  The  far-fetched  theory  that 
the  third  murderer  is  Macbeth  himself  disguised  ( !)  has  nothing  to  recommend  it  save  its 
ingenuity.  Any  such  mystery  would  have  needed  a  commentator  to  explain  it,  since  there 
are  evidently  no  asides  in  the  action,  and  any  distinction  of  dress  would  have  betrayed 
Macbeth  to  his  fellow-murderers  at  the  moment  when  it  disclosed  him  to  the  audience. 


SCENE    III:    A  PARK    NEAR   THE    PALACE 
ENTER   THREE    MURTHERERS 


1-4 
FIRST  MURTHERER 
UT  who  did  bid  thee  joyne  with 
us 


7 


THIRD  MURTHERER 
Macbeth. 


SECOND  MURTHERER 
He  needes  not  our  mistrust,  since  he  delivers 
Our  offices  and  what  we  have  to  doe 


*ff  I  BUT  marks  the  sharp 
turn  of  suspicion  that  crosses 
the  mind  of  the  first  murderer 
as  the  new  accession  to  their 
party  finishes  his  directions. 
SF2  -HE  NEEDES  NOT  OUR 
MISTRUST,  'there  is  no  rea- 
son why  we  should  mistrust 
him';  such  e.  N.  E.  syntax 
grew  out  of  the  development 
of  M.E.  impersonal  idioms 
into  e.  N.  E.  personal  forms  of 
thinking.  Such  an  expression 
as  "it  needeth  not  that  we  mistruste  him,"  i.e.  there  is  no  reason  that,  etc.,  became  "he 
needes  not  our  mistrust";  the  opus  est  meaning  of  'needs'  is  now  quite  obsolete,  and 
such  a  phrase  as  we  have  here  in  MN.E.  seems  like  a  clumsy  figure  of  speech,  and  such 
expressions  as  "What  need  the  bridge  much  broder  then  the  flood?"  i.e.  Why  should  the 
bridge  be  broader  than  the  stream?  Ado  1. 1. 3 1 8,  and"  What  need  these  tricks?"  Tro.&Cr. 
V.I.  14,  appear  to  us  sheer  nonsense.  DELIVERS,  'describes,'  N.E.D.  II,cp.  "I  .  .  heard 
the  old  shepheard  deliver  the  manner  how  he  found  it"  Wint.T.  V. 2.4.  IF 3  OFFICES, 
'parts,'  cp.  "this  is  thy  office,  Beare  thee  well  in  it"  Ado  III.  1. 12.      SF 4    TO,  'according 

112 


To  the  direction  just. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  III 


SCENE  III 


4-16 


to/a  common  M.E.ande.N.  E. 
meaning  of  the  preposition. 
THE,  probably  equivalent  to 
'his*  or  'our.'  JUST,  'ex- 
actly/'precisely/  see  N.E.D.2, 
whose  citation  from  Stern- 
hold  and  Hopkins's  Psalmes, 
1 549-1 562,  "The  Lord  .  . 
knowethour  shape, Our  mould 
and  fashion  just,"  shows  that 
the  position  of  the  adverb  is 
not  anomalous  in  EL.  E. 

^4  The  first  murderer's 
STAND  WITH  US  seems  to 
be  proposed  as  a  test  of  the 
new  arrival's  sincerity.  *1F  6 
LATED  is  not  an  aphetic  form 
of  'belated,'  used  here  for 
rhythm's  sake,  but  a  not  un- 
common participial  adjective 
in  -ed,  'made  late.'  It  occurs 
also  in  Ant.&Cl.  III.  II.  3. 
«ff7  TIMELY,  'opportune,' 
'  welcome,'  cp.  Coles,"  timely, 
opportunus."  <IF8  SUBJECT 
is  frequently  used  in  EL.  E. 
where  MN.  E.  prefers  'ob- 
ject/ cp.  "To  be  shame's 
scorne  and  subject  of  mis- 
chance" I  Hen.6  IV.  6. 49-  SF9 
HOA  is  Banquo's  call  to  his 
attendants,  who  are  taking  the 
horses  around  by  the  road ; 
the  word  is  extra-metrical : 
PO.  I  makes  THE  REST  part 
of  the  following  verse.  *ff  10 
WITHIN  THE  NOTE,  'com- 
prised in  the  list/  cp.  "mace, 
dates,  none  ;  that's  out  of  my 
note"  Wint.T.  IV.3-49.  OP 
EXPECTATION,  'of  the  ex- 
pected guests/  cp.  "The  ut- 
most man  of  expectation," 
i.e.  the  full  complement  of  the 
soldiers  we  expected,  2Hen.4 
I.3.65.  This  meaning  of  the 
<lr  II  I'TH' COURT,  'at  the  palace/  N.E.D.5. 
ABOUT,  'by  a  circuitous  way/  cp.  "I  was  forc'd  to  wheele  Three  or  foure  miles  about" 
Cor.  1.6. 19.  SFI4  THEIR  would  be 'his'  in  MN.E.  The  syntax  is  similar  to  that  ex- 
plained in  the  note  to  1.3. 144.  A  LIGHT,  the  torch  that  Fleance  is  carrying.  SF  16  IT 
WILL  BE  RAYNE,  'there  will  be  rain';  the  impersonal  idiom  in  M.E.  could  have  "it"  for 
its  subject,  and  this  form  of  it  survived  into  e.  N.E. ;  cp.  the  German  locution  'es  giebt.' 

113 


FIRST  MURTHERER 

Then  stand  with  us. 
The  west  yet  glimmers  with  some  streakes 

of  day: 
Now  spurres  the  lated  traveller  apace 
To  gayne  the  timely  inne,  and  neere  approches 
The  subject  of  our  watch. 

THIRD  MURTHERER 

Hearke!    I  heare  horses. 

BANQUO  within 

Give  us  a  light  there,  hoa! 

SECOND  MURTHERER 

Then  'tis  hee:   the  rest 
That  are  within  the  note  of  expectation 
Alreadie  are  f  th'  court. 

FIRST  MURTHERER 

His  horses  goe  about. 

THIRD  MURTHERER 
Almost  a  mile:   but  he  does  usually, 
So  all  men  doe,  from  hence  to  th'  pallace  gate 
Make  it  their  walke. 

ENTER  BANQUO  AND   FLEANS  WITH   A   TORCH 

SECOND  MURTHERER 
A  light,  a 
THIRD  MURTHERER 


light! 

Tis 


hee. 


FIRST  MURTHERER 
Stand  too  't. 

BANQUO 
It  will  be  rayne  to  night. 

word  has  been  overlooked  by  the  N.E.D. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SF  16  LET  ITCOME  DOWNE 
is  probably  said  with  ironical 
double  meaning — 'lettheblow 
fall.'  SF  1 7  TRECHERIE, 
'treach'ry.'  SF  1 8  The  Mac- 
beth tradition  made  Fleance 
flee  to  Wales,  cp.  "  About  this 
timealso  Fleance, from  whom 
the  later  kings  of  Scotlandare 
descended,  fled  from  his  tyr- 
anny into  Wales:  where  by 
Nest,  daughter  to  Griffith  ap 
Lewlyn,  then  Prince  of  all 
Wales,  he  had  Walter,  first 
Lord  Steward  of  Scotland" 
Slatyer's  Palazalbion,  1 6 1 9r 
p.  282.  Holinshedalsomak.es 
Fleance  escape,  not  at  the 
time  of  the  murder,  but  later. 
SF20  WE  HAVE  LOST  was 
probably  intended  for  a  con- 
traction,'we've  lost.'  SF2I 
BEST  HALFE:  the  parti- 
tive superlative  frequently 
appears  in  EL.E.  without  the 
definite  article,  as  here,  cp. 
"  I  am  grieved  to  see  how  we 
employ  most  part  of  our  time  " 
Florio's  Montaigne,  I.  xxv. 


ACT  III 


SCENE  III 


16-22 


FIRST  MURTHERER 

Let  it  come  downe. 

THEY   SET   UPON    BANQUO 
BANQUO 

O,  trecherie !  Flye,good  Fleans,flye,  flye,flye, 
Thou  may'st  revenge.     O  slave ! 

DIES.      FLEANS   ESCAPES 

THIRD  MURTHERER 
Who  did  strike  out  the  light? 

FIRST  MURTHERER 

Was  ?t  not  the  way? 
THIRD  MURTHERER 
There  fs  but  one  downe;   the  sonne  is  fled. 
SECOND  MURTHERER 

We  have  lost 
Best  halfe  of  our  affaire. 

FIRST  MURTHERER 
Well,  let 's  away  and  say  how  much  is  done. 

EXEUNT 


INTRODUCTORY    NOTE   TO   SCENE    IV 

The  scene  that  follows  is  really  the  critical  point  of  the  play.  Macbeth's  insanity  now  be- 
comes a  menace  to  his  personal  security,  and  the  other 'tortures  of  his  mind' pale  before 
a  greater  torture  when  he  becomes  aware  that  the  "  fits  "  which  he  suffers  from  have  become 
matters  of  public  comment,  and  that  now  he  cannot  help  betraying  himself  and  unfolding 
all  the  dark  horrors  of  his  life  to  the  public  gaze.  His  terrible  dreams  have  now  invaded 
the  daylight.  His  will,  whose  impotence  to  restrain  his  own  evil  ambitions  he  becomes 
aware  of  in  the  first  act  of  the  play,  is  now  the  active  agent  of  powers  which,  fight  against 
it  as  he  may,  are  assuring  his  own  destruction.  How  frequent  the  fits  must  be  Shakspere 
contrives  to  show  us  in  presenting  but  one :  what  anxieties  they  cause  the  guilty  pair  and 
how  impossible  of  control  they  are  appears  later  from  the  sleep-walking  scene  where  Lady 
Macbeth  exclaims  "you  marre  all  with  this  starting."  Shakspere  here,  as  in  Hamlet,  pre- 
sents the  tragic  Nemesis  as  an  instrument  of  torture  wrought  out  of  the  material  of  the 
victim's  own  character.  But  not  only  Macbeth,  Lady  Macbeth  likewise  becomes  the  vic- 
tim of  "even-handed  justice."  She  has  instigated  the  murder  of  Duncan,  embarking  her 
husband  on  his  career  of  bloodshed;  she  'goes  with  him'  in  his  murder  of  Banquo ;  she 
accedes  to  his  designs  against  Macduff  as  implied  in  his  notion  of  wading  on  through  the 
stream  of  blood — perhaps  a  helpless  accession,  but  none  the  less  conscious,  as  she  shows  in 
the  sleep-walking  scene.  She  has  enjoyed  the  first  fruits  of  their  common  crime,  as  we 
see  from  the  well-borne  queenly  dignity  with  which  Shakspere  endues  her ;  and  in  her 

114 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

anxiety  to  shield  her  husband  from  the  consequences  of  his  self-betrayal,  she  drinks  of  the 
cup  that  Nemesis  commends  to  the  lips  of  Macbeth.  And  with  the  close  of  the  scene, 
like  the  primeval  pair  who  left  Eden  "hand  in  hand  with  wandring  steps  and  slow,"  they 
together  enter  into  their  heritage  of  bitterness  'but  young  in  deed/  novitiates  in  suffering. 


SCENE    IV:    THE    HALL   IN    THE    PALACE 

BANQUET   PREPAR'D:    ENTER    MACBETH    LADY    MACBETH 

ROSSE    LENOX    LORDS   AND    ATTENDANTS 


MACBETH 
OU  know  your  owne  degrees;  sit 

downe:    at  first 
And  last  the  hearty  welcome. 
LORDS 
Thankes  to  your  majesty. 
MACBETH 
Our  selfe  will  mingle  with  society 
And  play  the  humble  host. 
Ourhostesse  keepes  her  state,  but  in  best  time 
We  will  require  her  welcome. 


1-6 

<lFl  DEGREES,  'rank/  'or- 
der of  precedence/  N.E.  D.4, 
cp.  "  O  that  estates,  degrees 
and  offices  Were  not  deriv'd 
corruptly"  Merch.  II.  9.  41  ; 
the  plural  form  is  used  as  it 
is  in  "preys"  III. 2. 53-  SIT 
DOWNE  not  only  seems  in- 
apposite as  coming  from  the 
king,  but  makes  the  rhythm 
difficult,  forcing  either  two 
incomplete  verses  as  in  FO.  I, 
You  .  .  downe,  At  .  .  wel- 
come, or  a  bad  verse  division 
in  the  middle  of  a  phrase,  "At 
first  And  last,"  as  in  the  Cambridge  Text,  or  an  alexandrine,  You  .  .  last,  Delius.  It  may 
be  an  extra-metrical  phrase,  cp.  note  to  III.  1.40,  or  is  possibly  an  actor's  direction  in- 
truded from  the  margin.  AT  FIRST  AND  LAST:  the  phrase  occurs  also  in  "I,  greefe,  I 
feare  me,  both  at  first  and  last,"  i.e.  Aye,  I  fear  this  matter  will  be  first  and  last  a  trouble 
to  the  state,  lHen.6  V.5- 102.  One  would  naturally  expect  Macbeth  to  give  his  pledge 
'to  first  and  last'  after  having  referred  to  the  various  degrees  of  his  nobility.  But  AT  in 
its  M.E.  sense  of  'apud/  'in  the  presence  of/ is  not  cited  in  N.E.D.  later  than  1580,  though 
there  is  obviously  an  EL.  survival  of  this  sense  in  the  idiom  "to  do  at  one,"  cp.  "What  will 
she  do  at  me,  quid  faciet  mihi"  "  What  wouldst  thou  do  at  him,  quid  Mo  facias  "  Phr.  Gen. ; 
the  phrase  is  also  given  in  Coles.  Moreover,  even  if  current  in  the  sense  of  'apud/  the 
"at"  would  normally  be  understood  as  part  of  an  adverbial  phrase  if  coming  before  "first." 
Johnson  was  for  taking  "at  first"  with  "sit  downe,"  and  altering  "last"  to  'next';  but 
this  construction  makes  lame  sense,  besides  departing  from  the  FO.  texts  and  punctuation. 
Other  editors  alter  "at"  to  'to'  or  to  'and.'  But  probably  Shakspere  was  merely  pre- 
paring for  Macbeth  to  take  his  place  among  his  guests  as  "humble  host"  instead  of  sitting 
in  state  on  the  dais  above  them,  so  as  to  provide  for  his  asides  to  the  murderer  and  his 
attempt  to  take  Banquo's  empty  seat:  as  royal  host  he  pledges  the  court  'once  for  all.' 
*ff2  THE  .  .  WELCOME:  the  definite  article  seems  to  have  been  used  to  mark  a  certain 
formality,  'the  pledge  of  welcome' ;  one  editor  changes  it  to  'a'  in  this  passage,  and  most 
editors  remove  it  from  the  text  in  Tro.&Cr.  III.  3- 1 68  :  "the  welcome  ever  smiles  and  fare- 
well [FO.  I  "farewels"]  goes  out  sighing."  <ff  3  OUR  SELFE,  the  majesty  plural  of  the 
reflexive  used  as  personal  pronoun.  MINGLE  WITH,  'associate  with/  cp.  "Mingled  his 
royaltie  with  carping  fooles"  I  Hen. 4  III.  2. 63.  SOCIETY, 'company/ cp.  "My  riots  past, 
my  wilde  societies"  Merry  W.  III. 4.8.     SF4   HUMBLE:  Macbeth  will  lay  aside  his  royalty. 

115 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


<IF5  STATE  frequently  in  EL.E.  means  'chair  of  state/  'throne/  cp.  "This  chayre  shall 
bee  my  state"  lHen.4  II. 4. 415,  and  Marston's  Antonio  and  Mellida,  II. i,  stage  direc- 
tion: "  Forobosco  ushers  the  duke  to  his  state."  IN  BEST  TIME  seems  to  be  a  super- 
lative form  of 'in  good  time/  i.e.  when  the  feast  is  at  its  height  (another  instance  of 
the  EL.  superlative  without  the  definite  article).  SF  6  REQUIRE,  'ask  for/  a  usual 
sense  of  the  word  in  EL.E. 

wdcLoCm°ME'  U  P'edge  °'    ACT  III  SCENE  IV  7- 15 


SF8  THEY  ARE,  probably 
contracted  to  '  they  're.'  *IF  9 
ENCOUNTER  seems  to  be 
used  here  in  the  sense  of 
'address/  N.  E.  D.  7,  cp.  "I 
could  .  .  have  charg'd  him  At 
the  sixt  houre  of  morne,  at 
noone,  at  midnight,  T'  en- 
counter me  with  orisons,  for 
then  I  am  in  heaven  for 
him"  Cym.  1.3.25  ff.  But 
there  may  be  in  the  word  a 
suggestion  of  'countering'  in 
the  sense  of  'retorting  to/ 
N.E.D.  'counter*  4,  or  of 
singing  an  accompaniment  to 
a  melody,  N.E.D.  'counter/ 
v., 2,  as  the  forms  of  'counter7 
and  'encounter'  were  con- 
fused in  EL.E.  The  latter 
meaning  beautifully  fits  the 
Cymbeline  passage.  Mac- 
beth speaks  as  the  lords  stand 
to  pledge  the  queen.    THEIR 


LADY  MACBETH 
Pronounce  it  for  me,  sir,  to  all  our  friends, 
For  my  heart  speakes  they  are  welcome. 

ENTER   FIRST   MURTHERER 

MACBETH 
See,  they  encounter  thee  with   their  hartsf 

thanks. 
Both  sides  are  even :  heere  I  fle  sit  if  thf  mid'st : 
Be  large  in  mirth  ;    anon  wee  ?1  drinke  a  mea- 
sure 
The  table  round.  to  murtherer 

There  's  blood  upon  thy  face. 
MURTHERER 
'T  is  Banquo's  then. 

MACBETH 
'T  is  better  thee  without  then  he  within. 
Is  he  dispatch'd? 


has  full  stress,  contrasting  with  MY  in  the  previous  verse.  *1F  10  BOTH  SIDES  ARE 
EVEN  goes  with  the  preceding  line  in  FO.  I,  which  has  no  mark  of  punctuation  after 
THANKS;  v.  9  in  the  FO.  is  closely  spaced  and  its  last  letter  comes  to  the  edge  of  the 
column  measure,  so  a  period  may  have  been  lost  in  the  exigencies  of  printing,  and  Mac- 
beth's  words  be,  as  they  are  always  understood  to  be,  a  dramatic  explanation  of  his  reason 
for  taking  Banquo's  empty  chair  at  the  head  of  the  table.  But  they  could  well  be  a 
playful  reference  to  the  result  of  the  'countering'  between  Lady  Macbeth  and  the  court, 
and  his  "sit  i'  th'mid'st"  be  a  punning  allusion  to  his  taking  neutral  ground  in  the  con- 
test of  compliment.  SF  II  LARGE,  'unrestrained/  N.E.D.  II,  cp.  "Your  praises  are  too 
large"  Wint.T.  IV. 4. 147.  ANON,  'in  a  moment':  as  he  rises  to  give  the  pledge  which 
Lady  Macbeth  in  v.  33  chides  him  for  delaying,  he  catches  sight  of  the  murderer  at  the 
door  and  walks  toward  him.  The  blood  upon  the  murderer's  face  is  probably  one  of 
Macbeth's  delusions.  SF  14  'T  IS  BETTER  THEE  WITHOUT  THEN  HE  WITHIN  has 
been  interpreted  in  various  ways:  "T  is  better  for  you  to  be  outside  the  banquet-hall, 
dangerous  to  me  as  your  presence  may  be,  than  for  Banquo  to  be  one  of  my  guests/ 
"T  is  better  that  blood  should  be  on  thy  face  than  that  Banquo  should  be  in  the  hall/  and 
"Tis  better  the  blood  should  be  outside  thee  than  within  him.'  The  last  of  these  is  the 
most  apposite:  but  the  nominative  "he"  governed  by  the  preposition  "within"  is  anoma- 
lous English.  Confusions  between  the  objective  and  the  nominative  cases  of  the  per- 
sonal pronoun  after  "than"  were  not  uncommon  in  literary  EL.E.  (they  are  still  to  be 

116 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


found  in  colloquial  MN.E.,  educated  persons  being  often  in  doubt  whether  to  say  'better 
than  I'  or  'better  than  me'),  and  the  nominative  for  the  accusative  after  a  preposition 
also  occurs  in  such  a  careful  writer  as  Ben  Jonson:  "  It  hath  been  otherwise  between 
you  and  I"  Sejanus  V.  10.  But  Shakspere's  locution  goes  further,  for  it  is  not  here  a 
case  of  subject  or  object  of  an  implied  clause,  or  object  of  a  quasi-preposition,  if  "within" 
be  a  preposition  and  not  an  adverb.  Perhaps,  therefore,  it  is  better  to  understand  Mac- 
beth's  remark  as  an  aside  when  he  recognizes  in  the  blood-stained  murderer's  presence 

at  the  door  a  less  danger  than 


ACT  III 


SCENE  IV 


I6-25 


My 


would  be  the  menace  of 
Banquo's  presence  at  the 
feast,  than  to  convict  Shak- 
spere  of  anomalous  English. 

^17  There  is  a  grimness  in 
Macbeth's  jest  about  CUT- 
THROATS and  his  use  of  the 
word  NON-PAREILL  below, 
'the  star  of  your  profession' ; 
cp.  "he  himselfe  Cals  her 
a  non-pareill"  Temp.  III. 2. 
107,  and  "non-pareil,  that 
has  no  equal"  Glossographia. 
*IF  20  SCAP'D  is  not,  as  usu- 
ally printed,  a  poetic  short- 
ening for  'escaped,'  but  is  a 
normal  EL. form  representing 
M.  E. "  scapen  "  and  preserved 
in  MN.  E. '  scapegrace.'  ^  2 1 
The  AGAINE  has  a  pathetic 
significance,  'another  parox- 
ysm of  madness,' another  at- 
tack of  his  insanity.  In  con- 
struing this  passage  the  EL. 
notion  of  insanity  must  be 
borne  in  mind,  see  note  to 
III. 2.23  and  "Unlesse  some 
fit  or  frenzie  do  possesse  her" 
Titus  IV.  1. 17.  <lr2I  ff.  We 
have  here  one  of  those  rap- 
idly moving  metaphors,  so 
common  in  Shakspere,  by 
which  various  aspects  of  a  notion  are  linked  together  through  common  associations  :  PER- 
FECT, 'in  sound  mental  health,'  'sane,'  cp.  "  I  feare  I  am  not  in  my  perfect  mind"  Lear 
IV.  7.63  J  health  suggests  the  'wholeness,'  f  lawlessness,  soundness  of  marble,  and  this  the 
stability  of  the  rock  not  to  be  disturbed  by  tempests  ;  the  tempests  suggest  the  encasing  air, 
and  this  notion  passes  into  that  of  a  prison,  where  Macbeth  is  confined  in  a  filthy  hovel  with 
impudent  and  base-born  knaves,  "  sawcy  doubts  and  feares,"  as  his  fellow-prisoners.  *ff  23 
BROAD,  'free,'  'unrestrained  by  restless  fears,'  cp.  III. 6.  21.  GENERALL, 'unrestricted,' 
'unlimited,'  cp.  "a  generall,  honest  thought"  Caes. V. 5-71,  and  "Whose  private  [i.e.  per- 
sonal interests]  with  me  of  the  dolphines  love  Is  much  more  generall  then  these  lines 
import"  John  IV. 3- 17.  *ff  24  CABIN  in  EL.  E.  is  a  common  name  for  a  prison  cell.  In 
the  authorized  version  of  Jeremiah  XXVII.  16  it  is  still  retained  in  this  sense:  "When 
Jeremiah  was  entered  into  the  dungeon  and  into  the  cabins."     CRIB  denotes  a  hovel, 

117 


MURTHERER 
lord,  his  throat  is  cut;  that  I  did  for  him. 
MACBETH 
Thou    art    the    best    o'  th'  cut-throats:    yet 

hee  's  good 
That  did  the  like  for  Fleans :  if  thou  did'st  it, 
Thou  art  the  non-pareill. 

MURTHERER 

Most  royall  sir, 
Fleans  is  scap'd. 

MACBETH  . 

ASIDE 

Then  comes  my  fit  againe:   I  had  else  beene 

perfect, 
Whole  as  the  marble,  founded  as  the  rocke, 
As  broad  and  generall  as  the  casing  ayre: 
But    now    I    am    cabin'd,    crib'd,    confin'd, 

bound  in 
To  sawcy  doubts  and  feares. 

TO   MURTHERER 

But  Banquo  's  safe? 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

cp.  "Why  rather,  sleepe,  lyest  thou  in  smoakie  cribs?"  2Hen.4  III.  I.  ^.  BOUND  IN  TO, 
'confined  with/  cp.  "  To  night  she  is  mewed  up  to  her  heavinesse  "  Rom.&Jul.  III.  4.  II. 
SF  25  SAWCY,  'insolent/  a  somewhat  stronger  word  than  it  is  now,  cp.  III.  5. 3.  The  tor- 
ture which  Macbeth  endures  is  that  of  a  criminal  close  confined  in  narrow  quarters  with  in- 
sulting cell-mates,  who  mock  him  day  and  night  with  their  insolent  jibes.  The  association 
of    restriction    and    restraint 

suggests  the  thought  that  at       ArT    ttt  oppxjp    tu  06      20 

least    Banquo  is  'restricted'       A^  1      1U  OUD1N  Er    IV  26-32 

andean  no  longerdo  him  harm, 
cp.  "<Bullingbrooke,  drawing.  MURTHERER 

Villaine,  Tie  make  thee  safe !      \y  my  good  lord:  safe  in  a  ditch  he  bides, 

hand';  thou  hist  noTufe  to     With  twenty  trenched  gashes  on  his  head, 
feare"  Rich.2  v.3.4i  ff.  The  least  a  death  to  nature. 

SF27  TRENCHED/deepcut,'  MACBETH 

not    mere    'scorchings,'    cp.  Thankes  for  that. 

"the    wide  wound    that    the       rr,1  ,  .  . 

boare  had  trencht  In  his  soft      1  here  the  growne  serpent  lyes;  the  worme 

flanke"Ven.&Ad.  1052.  SF  28  that's  fled 

Itl^XX-^oU.fl.       Hath  natUI*e  that  in  time  Wil1   Ven0m    breed> 

SF 29  worme,  a  usual  el.      No  teeth  for  th'  present.    Get  thee  gone:  to 

word  for  serpent,  cp.  "  I  wish  morrow 

you  all  joy  of  the  worme"       ,v.       ,,  ,  . 

Ant.&Cl.v.2.26i.  SF30  na-      Wee  1  heare  our  selves  againe. 

TURE:   cp.  note  to   II. 4.16.  EXIT  MURTHERER 

«7F  3 1     NO   TEETH   FOR  TH' 

PRESENT  :  for  the  omitted  subject  and  predicate  cp.  note  to  III. 2. 32.  SF  32  WEE'L  HEARE 
OUR  SELVES  AGAINE  :  in  the  present  state  of  our  knowledge  of  EL.  idiom  it  is  difficult  tofix 
the  meaning  of  this  phrase.  HEARE  may  possibly  mean  'listen  to,'  'hearken  to,'  N.  E.  D.  4  b, 
with  OUR  SELVES  used  reciprocally;  cp.  "as  we  walke  To  our  owne  selves  bend  we  our 
needefull  talke"  Tro.&Cr.  IV. 4. 141  ;  or  OUR  SELVES  may  be  majesty  plural  for  'my- 
self: the  form  "our  selves"  for  'ourself  occurs  also  in  Rich.2  I.  I.  16,  "our  selves  will 
heare  Th'  accuser  and  the  accused,"  and  in  Rich.2  III.  3. 127  the  Quartos  read  "our  selves"  in 
"We  doe  abase  our  selfe,"  etc.  The  statements  of  grammarians  that  "our  selves"  is  not 
a  proper  form  of  the  majesty  plural  of  the  reflexive  pronoun,  and  of  CI.  Pr.  that  we 
require  'our  self  if  Macbeth's  words  are  to  be  taken  as  meaning  'I  myself,'  are  therefore 
incorrect.  There  is  another  possibility,  viz.  that  "We  will  heare  our  selves"  is  a  majesty 
plural  of  'I  will  hear  me,'  the  EL.  ethical  dative  idiom  referred  to  in  the  note  to  II.  1.5  — 
see  the  idiom  in  the  citation  given  there  from  the  'Arcadia' — the  MN.E.  of  which  would 
be  '  I  will  give  you  audience  again  to-morrow.'  Some  editors  put  in  a  comma  after 
"heare"  and  make  the  words  an  absolute  idiom,  "our  selves  againe,"  i.e.  when  I  am 
myself  again.  To  this  it  is  objected  that  Shakspere  would  hardly  make  Macbeth  take 
the  murderer  into  his  confidence  in  the  way  that  this  interpretation  implies;  but  "our 
selves  againe"  may  well  be  the  completion  of  the  thought  in  Macbeth's  own  mind,  mut- 
tered as  the  murderer  goes  away  from  the  door  and  heard  by  the  audience  as  an  aside  — 
one  of  those  pathetic  'to-morrow'  thoughts  that  light  fools  the  way  to  dusty  death,  as  he 
bitterly  says  later:  'To  morrow,  when  I  shall  be  well  and  the  fit  be  past.'  That  he  is 
in  one  of  his  abstracted  fits  when  coming  back  to  the  table  is  clear  from  Lady  Macbeth's 
next  words,  and  it  is  quite  possible  that  it  begins  as  the  murderers  leave  him.  There  are 
thus  four  possible  interpretations  of  these  words,  and  all  of  them  grammatically  justifiable. 
The  last  is  the  most  apposite,  for  it  gives  the  maximum  of  interest  to  Macbeth's  remark. 

118 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  III 


SCENE  IV 


32-45 


LADY    MACBETH 

My  royall  lord, 

You   do    not  give  the  cheere:   the  feast  is 
sold 

That    is    not    often    vouch'd    while    rt  is    a 
making, 

'T  is  given   with   welcome.    To   feede  were 
best  at  home; 

From  thence,  the  sawce  to  meate  is  cere- 
mony; 

Meeting  were  bare  without  it. 

ENTER    THE    GHOST  OF   BANQUO 
AND   SITS   IN    MACBETH'S    PLACE 

MACBETH 

Sweet  remembrancer! 
Now  good  digestion  waite  on  appetite, 
And  health  on  both ! 

LENOX 
May  rt  please  your  highnesse  sit. 

MACBETH 
Here  had  we  now  our  countries  honor  roofd, 
Were    the    grac'd    person    of    our    Banquo 

present; 
Who  may  I  rather  challenge  for  unkindnesse 
Then  pitty  for  mischance. 

ROSSE 

His  absence,  sir, 
Layes  blame  upon  his  promise.    Pleas  't  your 

highnesse 
To  grace  us  with  your  royall  company? 


SF33  CHEERE, 'the  toast  of 
welcome/  N.E. D.  5,  cp.  "So 
guiltlesse  shee  securely  gives 
good  cheare  And  reverend 
welcome  to  her  princely 
guest  "Lucr.  89.  Lady  Mac- 
beth refers  to  the  interrupted 
toast  and  recalls  her  husband 
to  a  sense  of  his  surround- 
ings. He  has  forgotten  all 
about  the  pledge  he  proposed 
when  the  sight  of  the  mur- 
derer's face  interrupted  him, 
and  there  is  a  certain  impa- 
tience at  his  absent-minded- 
ness in  Lady  Macbeth's 
words.  SF35  ?T  IS,  'that  it 
is ' :  the  '  that '  is  often  omitted 
in  M.E.  and  e. N.E.  where  it 
is  required  in  MN. E.  GIVEN 
is  one  of  those  -en  words 
which  often  in  EL.E.  have  but 
one  impulse,  'giv'n,'  see  note 
to  1.5.39.  FEEDE,  merely  to 
'eat/  but  not  so  coarse  a 
word  as  it  now  is  in  MN.  E., 
cp.  "Sit  downe  and  feed, 
and  welcome  to  our  table" 
A.Y.L.II.7.I05.  SF  36  FROM 
THENCE,  i.e.  away  from 
home,  cp.  "And  feedes  from 
home"Err.II.I.IOI.  MEATE 
in  EL.  E.  had  a  sound  like  that 
of  MN.  E. '  mate/  and  so  there 
is  no  pun  intended.  CERE- 
MONY, 'cer'mony/  the  syn- 
copated form  of  the  word. 
*ff37  REMEMBRANCER, 

'prompter/  'monitor/  cp. 
"  remembrancer,  nomenclator 
memorialis,  magister  memo- 
rice,  monitor11  Skinner,  and 
"remembrancer, een  indacht- 
ig-maaker11 Sewell,I708.  *TF  39 
There    is   a  deep   pathos  in 


Macbeth's  toast  —  Health  ! 
though  of  course  it  is  a  mere  formality.  The  entrance  of  Banquo's  ghost  is  displaced  in 
MN.  editions  and  put  after  v.  39  J  but  it  belongs  where  the  FO.  has  it.  Macbeth,  recalled 
from  his  absent-mindedness,  proposes  the  toast  standing  behind  the  vacant  seat  —  Ban- 
quo's—  which  he  had  taken  when  coming  down  from  the  throne.  Somewhat  dazed,  he 
notices  at  first  only  that  the  table  is  full,  probably  supposing  that  some  newly  arrived 
guest  has  taken  his  place  while  he  was  talking  to  the  murderer  at  the  door.  The  full 
table  leads  to  his  gracious  remark  about  having  all  the  nobility  of  Scotland  at  his  banquet. 

119 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


*ff  40  HONOR, 'nobility/ cp.  note  to  II.  1.26.  «ff4I  GRAC'D, 'accomplished/ cp.  "After 
a  well  grac'd  actor  leaves  the  stage  "  Rich.  2  V.  2. 24.  IF  42  WHO  :  the  confusion  of  relative 
cases  is  common  in  EL.  syntax.  MAY  I  RATHER,  '  I  must  rather/ cp.  note  on  III.  1. 122. 
CHALLENGE,  'find  fault  with/ a  common  EL.  meaning  of  the  word,  see  N.E.D.2.  SF 43 
MISCHANCE,   i.e.  'his    mis- 

ACT  III 


SCENE   IV 


46-58 


MACBETH 


The  table  rs  full. 


fortune  in  not  being  here'; 
but  Macbeth's  overwrought 
mind  falls  foul  of  an  unlucky 
word.  ^44  Rosse  refers  to 
the  colloquy  between  Mac- 
beth and  Banquo  in  the 
opening  of  Scene  I  of  this  act. 
PLEAS  'T, '  may  it  please/  an 
EL.  phrase  preserving  the 
M.E.  subjunctive  idiom. 

*ff  46  Macbeth,  seeing  the 
table  full,  is  turning  again  to 
his  throne,  or  perhaps  leaving 
the  banquet-hall.  Banquo's 
chair  is  still  empty,  of  course, 
to  the  vision  of  all  save 
Macbeth,  and  to  him  the 
ghostly  occupant  of  it  has  his 
back  turned.  Rosse  asks 
Macbeth  not  to  leave  their 
company  and  he  naturally 
replies  "the  table's  full." 
Lenox  points  out  the  place 
that  has  been  kept  for  him : 
this  place  is  to  Macbeth's  eyes 
occupied,  and  he  naturally 
asks  "Where?"  At  Lenox's 
"  Heere,  my  good  lord  "  Mac- 
beth comes  nearer  and  the 
ghost  slowly  turns  his  head, 
forbidding  Macbeth  to  sit 
down.  The  first  explanation 
that  occurs  to  Macbeth  is 
that  he  is  the  victim  of  trick- 
ery, that  some  one  is  per- 
sonating Banquo.  'Angers' 
is  a  common  EL.  sense  of 
MOVES.  "Which  of  you  have 
done  this  ?"  can  hardly  mean 
'has  murdered  Banquo'  be- 
cause   it    is    no  corpse   that 

Macbeth  is  looking  on.  Then  the  ghost  shakes  its  head  to  indicate  a  denial,  hence  Mac- 
beth's "never  shake  thy  goary  lockes  at  me."  SF  50  The  stress  is  upon  I,  the  reversal  oc- 
curring after  the  cassural  pause  made  by  SAY.  ^52  RISE,  'break  up  the  meeting/  still 
used  in  this  sense  in  the  phrase 'the  house  rises.'  IF  53  Lady  Macbeth  rushes  down  from 
her  throne  to  explain  that  her  husband  is  subject  to  these  sudden  seizures.  LORD  in  M.  E. 
and  e.N.E. means  'husband' ;  cp.  Desdemona's  "  My  lord  is  not  my  lord"  in  Oth.  III. 4. 124. 

120 


LENOX 
Heere  is  a  place  reserv'd,  sir. 
MACBETH 
Where? 

LENOX 
Heere,  my  good  lord.   What  is  't  that  moves 
your  highnesse? 

MACBETH 
Which  of  you  have  done  this? 
LORDS 

What,  my  good  lord? 
MACBETH 
Thou  canst  not  say  I  did  it:  never  shake 
Thy  goary  lockes  at  me. 
ROSSE 
Gentlemen,  rise;  his  highnesse  is  not  well. 

LADY   MACBETH 
Sit,  worthy  friends:  my  lord  is  often  thus, 
And  hath  beene  from  his  youth.    Pray  you, 

keepe  seat; 
The  fit  is  momentary;  upon  a  thought 
He  will  againe  be  well.     If  much  you  note 

him 
You  shall  offend  him  and  extend  his  passion ; 
Feed,  and  regard  him  not. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


*1F55  UPON  A  THOUGHT,  'in  a  moment':  'upon'  was  frequently  used  in  M.E.  and 
e.  N.  E.  temporal  phrases  ;  cp.  u  upon  the  moment "  Compl.  248.  SF  56  NOTE, '  pay  atten- 
tion to,' cp.  "I'le  re  you,  Tie  fa  you,  do  you  note  me?"  Rom.&Jul.  IV.  5. 121.  *ff  57  OF- 
FEND probably  has  its  EL.  connotation  of '  injure '  as  well  as  of '  give  offence  to.'  EXTEND,  i.e. 

aggravate.      PASSION,   'dis- 

ACT  III  SCENE  IV  58-68 


ease,'  referring  to  insanity, 
cp.  "  But  till  this  afternoone 
his  passion  [i.e.  madness] 
Ne'er  brake  into  extremity  of 
rage"  Err.  V. 47.  SF  58  FEED, 
cp.  v.  35. 

Lady  Macbeth  is,  of  course, 
now  standing  by  her  husband, 
so  that  her  aside  is  natural ; 
she  appeals  to  him  to  recover 
his  self-possession  as  she 
did  before  in  I.  7.  35,  and  he 
answers  as  before.  SF  60 
APPALL  carried  with  it  in 
EL. E.  the  sense  of  'make 
pale '  as  well  as  its  modern 
meaning.  PROPER,' fine,' cp. 
"A  proper  title  of  a  peace" 
Hen.8I.I.98.STUFFE,'rant,' 
cp.  "At  this  fusty  stuffe  .  . 
Achilles. .  laughes"Tro.&Cr. 
1.3.  161,  and  "such  stuffe  as 
madmen  Tongue"  Cym.V. 4. 

Why  do  you  make  such  faces?    When  all  Ts      146.    SF62  ayre-drawne, 

i.e.  pictured  in  the  air :  this 
is  one  of  those  implications 
woven  into  a  situation  that 
are  so  common  in  Shakspere  ; 
nowhere  in  the  previous  action  has  Macbeth  spoken  to  his  wife  about  this  dagger,  but  his 
words  here  suggest  to  the  imagination  a  scene  in  which  he  has  discussed  the  phenomenon 
with  Lady  Macbeth,  and  they  exaggerate  too  the  horror  of  the  supernatural  control  under 
which  Macbeth's  deeds  of  evil  are  committed.  *1F  63  FLAWES,  'outbursts  or  accesses  of 
passion,' cp.  "this  mad-bred  flawe"  2  Hen. 6  III.  1.354.  York  has  just  said,  "You  put  sharpe 
weapons  in  a  madman's  hands."  See  also  N.  E.  D.  s.v.y  and  its  citation  from  Spenser,  "  She 
at  the  first  encounter  on  him  ran  .  .  But  he  .  .  from  that  first  flaw  himself  right  well  de- 
fended." STARTS:  cp.  "For  she  did  speake  in  starts  distractedly"  Tw.N.  II. 2. 22,  and 
"Suchunconstant  starts  are  we  like  to  have  from  him  "Lear  1. 1.304.  In"flawes  and  starts" 
there  seems  thus  to  be  a  reference  to  Macbeth's  insanity.  SF64  IMPOSTORS:  the  idea 
of  'cheating'  is  more  prominent  in  the  EL.  word  than  in  MN.  E. —  see  N.  E.  D. —  and  to  the 
EL.  mind  the  term  suggested  a  mountebank.  TO, '  compared  to,'  a  common  EL.  meaning  of 
the  preposition.  ^65  Lady  Macbeth  refers  to  the  'eerie  stories  nurses  tell';  that 
these  "straunge  and  marvellous  tales  which  they  have  heard  of  their  grandmothers  and 
mothers"  were  a  popular  recreation  for  a  winter's  eve  in  Shakspere's  time  is  shown  by 
contemporary  references  cited  in  Drake,  pp.  I54ff.  The  taunt  in  Lady  Macbeth's  words 
lies  in  their  accusation  that  her  husband  is  a  child  afraid  of  ghosts.  SF  66  AUTHORIZ'D, 
'vouched  for  as  true,'  N.E. D.4;  the  word  is  stressed  upon  its  second  syllable  in  EL. E., 
cp.  Minsheu,  1617,  "to  authorize"  (Minsheu  marks  primary  stresses  in  many  English 

121 


ASIDE  TO   MACBETH 

Are  you  a  man? 
MACBETH 
I,  and  a  bold  one,  that  dare  looke  on  that 
Which  might  appall  the  divell. 

LADY  MACBETH 

O  proper  stuffe! 
This  is  the  very  painting  of  your  feare: 
This  is  the  ayre-drawne-dagger  which  you 

said 
Led  you  to   Duncan.     O,  these  flawes  and 

starts, 
Impostors  to  true  feare,  would  well  become 
A  woman's  story  at  a  winter's  fire, 
Authoriz'd  by  her  grandam.    Shame  it  selfe ! 
do  you  make  such  faces?    When  all  's 
done, 
You  looke  but  on  a  stoole. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


words);  cp.  also  Sonnet  XXXV. 6  and  Lover's  Compl.  104.  The  th  in  the  word  repre- 
sented f  in  EL.  E.  SHAME  IT  SELFE,  from  the  pointing  of  FO.  I,  which  has  a  comma 
after  "it  selfe,"  seems  to  be  a  strong  exclamation  of  disgust  provoked  by  a  fresh  ac- 
cess of  Macbeth's  madness. 


ACT   III 


SCENE  IV 


69-74 


MACBETH 

Prythee,see  there!  behold!  looke!  Loe,  how- 
say  you? 

Why,  what  care  I  ?  If  thou  canst  nod,  speake 
too! 

If  charnell  houses  and  our  graves  must  send 

Those  that  we  bury  backe,  our  monuments 

Shall  be  the  mawes  of  kytes. 

EXIT  GHOST 
LADY  MACBETH 
What,  quite  unmann'd  in  folly? 
MACBETH 
If  I  stand  heere,  I  saw  him. 
LADY  MACBETH 

Fie,  for  shame ! 


SF  68  STOOLEinEL.E. means 
'chair'  as  well  as  what  we 
now  call  a  stool. 

It  is  quite  possible  that  here 
the  ghost  of  Duncan  appears, 
or  at  least  that  Macbeth  sees 
Duncan  as  he  saw  the  air- 
drawn  dagger.  The  mention 
of  Duncan  in  v.  63  would  be 
the  psychological  moment  for 
such  an  apparition.  In  FO.  I 
two  entrances  are  marked 
for  the  ghost,  the  words  of 
the  first  entrance  pointing  to 
the  ghost  coming  in  on  the 
stage  while  Macbeth  is  at  the 
door,  and  not  coming  up 
through  thefloor  as  Davenant 
arranged  it.  Forman  thus  de- 
scribes the  play  as  he  saw  it 
in  1 6 10:  "The  next  night 
being  at  supper  with  his  noble 
men  whom  he  had  bid  to  a 
feast,  to  the  which  also  Banco  [Forman  spells  the  word  in  what  was  probably  its  English 
form,  'Banquho'  being  the  Scottish  orthography]  should  have  com,  he  began  to  speake 
of  noble  Banco,  and  to  wish  he  wer  ther.  And  as  he  thus  did,  standing  up  to  drinke  a 
carouse  to  him,  the  ghoste  of  Banco  came  and  sat  down  in  his  chaire  behind  him.  And 
he  turning  about  to  sit  down  again,  sawe  the  goste  of  Banco  which  fronted  him  so  that  he 
fell  into  a  great  passion  of  fear  and  fury,  utteringe  many  wordes  about  his  murder,  by 
which  when  they  hard  that  Banco  was  murdred,  they  suspected  Macbet."  In  reading 
this  description  it  is  to  be  noted  that  Forman  is  writing  from  memory,  and  that  he  is 
only  setting  down  'moral  conclusions'  from  the  play — in  this  case  the  fact  that  murder 
will  discover  itself.  Too  much  importance,  therefore,  must  not  be  attached  to  his  descrip- 
tion :  it  is  obviously  imperfect  in  describing  only  the  ghost  in  vv.  88  ff.,  saying  nothing 
about  its  previous  appearance.  The  utmost  that  we  can  infer  from  his  failure  to  note  the 
appearance  of  Duncan's  ghost  is  that  it  was  not  actually  visible  to  the  audience.  There 
seems  to  be  a  note  of  awe  in  Macbeth's  reference  here  which  is  lacking  in  the  other  two 
cases,  and  the  expression  "those  that  we  bury"  is  rather  out  of  place  applied  to  Banquo, 
who  is  "  safe  in  a  ditch  "  and  not  '  buried '  or  '  entombed.'  The  plural  in  v.  80  points  to  the 
same  interpretation.  Perhaps,  therefore,  we  are  justified  in  assuming  that  vv.  69-73  refer 
to  a  vision  of  Duncan  in  Macbeth's  mind  even  if  Duncan's  ghost  does  not  actually  make  its 
appearance  to  the  audience.  If  this  be  the  case  and  vv.  68  ff.  refer  to  Duncan,  the  'Exit 
Ghost '  which  in  modern  editions  is  placed  after  v.  73  belongs  after  v.  52.  If  not,  the  various 
exclamations  are  uttered  as  Macbeth  tries  to  make  Lady  Macbeth  see  the  apparition  of 
Banquo  as  it  moves  away  from  the  table.  ^70  WHAT  CARE  I?  i.e.  for  your  nods  and 
gestures.  SF  71  CHARNELL  HOUSES,  i.e.  the  places  where  dead  men's  bones  are  kept. 
TF  72  MONUMENTS  in  EL.E.  means  'tombs,'  'burying- vaults,'  as  well  as  the  monuments 
erected  over  them;  cp.  "like  a  taper  in  some  monument"  Titus  II. 3- 228.      *ff 73    SHALL 

122 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


is  a  similar  omission  of  the 
EXIT  GHOST  in  Cajs.  IV. 
3.287  (FO.  I,  p.  127). 


BE,  'will  be,'  i.e.  will  come  to  be.  MAWES,  'stomachs':  when  Romeo  opens  the  tomb 
he  calls  it  "Thou  detestable  mawe,  .  .  Gorg'd  with  the  dearest  morsell  of  the  earth,  Thus 
I  enforce  thy  rotten  jawes  to  open,  And  in  despight  I'le  cram  thee  with  more  food" 
Rom.&Jul.  V.3.45.  Harrison  in  his  'Description  of  England'  II,  p.  45,  says  that  the  Cas- 
pians  nourish  mastiffs  "to  the  end  they  should  devoure  their  carcases  after  their  deaths, 
thinking  the  dogs  bellies  to  be  the  most  honourable  sepulchres."  Steevens  cites  '  Faerie 
Queene'  II. 8. 16,  "What  herce  or  steede  (said  he)  should  he  have  dight  But  be  entombed 
in  the  raven  or  the  kight?"  Delius  points  out  the  same  figure  in  Kyd's  Cornelia:  "the 
vulture  and  the  crowes,  Lyons  and  beares  are  their  best  Sepulchres."    EXIT  GHOST 

is  not  found  in  FO.  I  ;  there 

ACT  III  SCENE  IV  75-83 

MACBETH 
Blood  hath  bene  shed  ere  now,  ir  th'  olden 

time, 
Ere  humane  statute  purg'd  the  gentle  weale; 
I,  and  since  too,  murthers  have  bene  per- 

form'd 
Too  terrible  for  the  eare.   The  times  has  bene 
That  when  the  braines  were  out,  the  man 

would  dye, 
And  there  an  end;  but  now  they  rise  againe 
With    twenty    mortall     murthers     on     their 

crownes, 
And  push  us  from  our  stooles.    This  is  more 

strange 
Then  such  a  murther  is. 


SF76  HUMANE, 'human,' see 
notetol.5. 18.  Florioglosses 
ragione  humana  by  "humane 
law"  as  distinguished  from 
ragione  divina,  "divine  law." 
PURGE  was  a  general  EL.E. 
term  for  'remedy,'  as  disease 
was  thought  to  be  caused  by 
the  presence  of  bad  humours 
that  had  to  be  purged  from 
thebody.  GENTLE  WEALE: 
"  weale  "  is  the  e.  N.  E.  form  of 
a  M.E.  noun  meaning  'well- 
being,'  'happiness,'  the  op- 
posite of  'woe/  and  still 
survives  in  '  for  weal  or  woe' ; 
"public  weal,"  "common 
weal "  are  e.  N.  E.  terms  corre- 
sponding to  MN.E.  'state,' 
and  in  some  of  their  senses 


to  MN.E.  'commonwealth,' 
and  "weale"  alone  frequently  takes  on  in  e. N.E.  the  meaning  'public  weal.'  It  appears 
again  in  this  sense  in  V.  2. 27  with  the  same  attendant  notion  of  purging  as  here.  G  ENTLE 
is  here  usually  understood  to  be  proleptically  used,  the  notion  being  that  of  the  "weale" 
made  gentle  by  purging.  But  the  instances  of  prolepsis  which  grammarians  find  so 
frequent  in  Shakspere  are  nearly  all  of  them  due  to  ignoring  EL.  word  associations  which 
make  the  assumption  of  this  figure  unnecessary,  cp.  note  to  1.6.3-  Shakspere  frequently 
uses  the  term  "gentle"  as  the  opposite  of  "wild"  and  in  the  sense  of  'tame,'  'cultivated' ; 
"gentle  weale"  could  therefore  refer  to  the  softening  influences  of  civilization  (cp.  N.E. D. 
3  c  and  8)  and  the  whole  thought  be  'before  civilization  devised  human  law  as  a  means 
of  purging  itself  of  murderers.'  Many  editors  of  Shakspere  propose  'ungentle'  or 
'general'  or  'golden'  (sic)  for  "gentle."  Macbeth's  remark  is  interesting  as  being  a  note 
of  heroic  personality  belonging  to  an  age  which  had  not  yet  curbed  the  strong  passions  of 
strong  men  :  he  frets  under  the  checks  and  restraints  that  human  law  puts  upon  his  violent 
impulses.  SF  78  TERRIBLE,  probably  syncopated  to  "terr'ble."  TIMES  HAS  is  probably 
as  Shakspere  wrote  it,  though  the  editors  of  FOS.  2,  3r  and  4  make  the  verb  plural  to 
accord  with  later  notions  of  English  syntax.  Modern  editors  change  it  to  'time  has,'  our 
modern  idiom.  TIMES  in  the  plural,  however,  means  'manners,'  'customs 'in  EL.E.  as  well 
as  in  MN.E.,  which  conveys  quite  a  different  notion  from  'time'  in  the  singular.      SF8I 

123 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


TWENTY  is  often  an  indefinite  numeral  in  EL.  E.  like  MN.E.  'dozen/  cp.  'for  one  injury 
done  they  provoke  another  cum  foenore,  and  twenty  enemies  for  one'  Burton,  '  Anat.  of 
Mel.'  II. 3- 7.  But  clear  reference  seems  here  to  be  made  to  Banquo's  head  with  its 
'twenty  gashes  each  a  death 

ACT  III  SCENE  IV 


to  nature/  and  to  Banquo's 
pushing  Macbeth  from  his 
chair. 


83-92 

LADY  MACBETH 

My  worthy  lord, 
Your  noble  friends  do  lacke  you. 

MACBETH 

I  do  forget: 
Do  not  muse  at  me,  my  most  worthy  friends ; 
I  have  a  strange  infirmity,  which  is  nothing 
To  those  that  know  me.     Come,  love  and 

health  to  all; 
Then  Tie  sit  downe.    Give  me  some  wine,  fill 
full. 

ENTER  GHOST 

I  drinke  to  th?  generall  joy  of  the  whole  table, 
And  to  our  deere  friend  Banquo,  whom  we 

misse; 
Would  he  were  heere!   to  all,  and  him  we 

thirst, 
And  all  to  all ! 

LORDS 
Our  duties,  and  the  pledge! 


*lr83  The  fit  is  now  past  and 
Lady  Macbeth  recalls  him  to 
his  duties.  SF  84  LACKE 
YOU,  'notice  your  absence/ 
cp.  "  I  shall  be  lov'd  when  I 
am  lack'd"  Cor.  IV.  I.  15. 
There  is  an  extra  syllable  at 
the  end  of  the  first  half  verse. 
*ff 85  MUSE,  'wonder/  cp. 
"  I  muse  your  majesty  doth 
seeme  so  cold"  John  III. 
1. 3 1 7.  The  sentence  stress 
seems  to  fall  upon  AT,  cp. 
the  rhythm  of  1.4.52.      SF  89 

6f  the   whole   tAble 

seems  to  be  the  rhythm, 
though  FO.  I  prints  "o'th"' 
for  OF  THE.  *ff  90  OUR  and 
WE  are  instances  of  the 
majesty  plural.  SF9I  THIRST 
seems  to  mean  'long  for': 
the  'for/  which  is  essential 
to  the  verb  in  MN.  E.,  did  not 
always  accompany  it  in  EL.E., 
cp.  citations  in  Cent.  Diet, 
from  Tyndale,  "to  thirst  his 
true  doctrine,"  and  from  Pri- 
or, "and  thirsts  hir  blood"; 

cp.  also  "that  unhappy  king,  my  master,  whom  I  so  much  thirst  to  see"  Wint.T.  IV. 4. 523. 
tIr92  AND  ALL  TO  ALL:  the  first  "all"  is  used  in  the  sense  of  'everything/  i.e.  every 
good  thing,  cp.  note  to  1.7.5  ;  the  words  were  evidently  a  customary  form  of  pledge,  cp. 
Timon's  toast  to  the  company,  "All  to  you"  Timon  1.2.234. 

The  skill  with  which  Shakspere  here  represents  the  workings  of  Macbeth's  mind  is 
worthy  of  more  than  passing  attention.  In  vv.  40  ff.  a  normal  association,  the  full  table, 
turns  his  thinking  to  the  absent  noble.  Perfectly  calm  and  quite  master  of  himself,  he 
seizes  the  occasion  to  point  a  reference  to  Banquo's  unkindness  in  not  having  made  a 
greater  effort  to  be  present,  thus  preparing,  as  he  usually  does,  for  the  "consequence" — 
the  suspicion  that  may  fall  on  him  when  the  news  of  Banquo's  murder  reaches  the  court. 
But  he  is  reckoning  with  forces  beyond  his  control,  for  his  pointed  reference  leads 
naturally  to  the  request  from  Rosse  and  Angus  that  he  take  Banquo's  empty  place  and 
this  dwelling  upon  the  thought  of  Banquo  brings  on  his  fit  again.  The  "flawe"  sweeps 
away  his  outward  calm  and  in  a  moment  all  is  mad  confusion.  The  wild  storm  of  passion 
spends  its  first  fury,  but  Lady  Macbeth's  unfortunate  reference  to  Duncan  brings  on 
another  immediately  in  its  wake,  to  Macbeth  worse  than  the  first  in  its  ruthless  havoc, 

124 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

as  is  shown  by  his  reckless  "Why,  what  care  I?" — a  scream  of  defiance  as  he  screws 
his  manly  courage  to  the  fight  against  his  imagined  enemy.  And  he  succeeds  in  gaining 
at  least  sufficient  self-control  to  reason  about  the  phenomenon  in  vv.4I  ff.  Slowly  his 
harried  mind  rights  itself,  and  when  Lady  Macbeth,  taught  by  experience  to  avoid  refer- 
ences like  her  former  one,  makes  him  realize  his  danger,  he  guides  his  thought  again  into 
calm  waters.  But  unfortunately,  as  he  resumes  his  normal  thinking,  his  mind  takes  up 
again  the  train  of  ideas  that  was  broken  off  by  his  access  of  'passion';  and,  like  one 
passing  out  of  delirium,  he  goes  back  to  the  last  moment  of  sane  thought  to  restore  the 
continuity  of  his  self-consciousness ;  his  first  wholly  conscious  act  is  to  propose  the 
health  of  the  absent  Banquo.  This  time  it  is  not  the  accidental  insistence  of  Rosse  and 
Lenox  that  he  should  remain  in  their  company,  nor  a  tactless  reference  of  Lady  Macbeth's 
to  the  murdered  Duncan,  that  precipitates  the  attack,  but  the  normal  and  natural  opera- 
tions of  his  own  mind  as  it  strives  to  recover  itself.  The  demons  of  his  worser  self — that 
self  which  he  has  given  over  to  the  powers  of  evil  and  which  has  now  become  strong 
enough  to  enslave  him  —  have  him  again  in  their  clutches.  Thus  "our  deere  friend  Banquo, 
whom  we  misse"  brings  on  the  last  and  worst  fit,  from  which  he  does  not  escape.  Even 
when  the  banquet  has  broken  up  in  confusion  and  alarm  and  he  is  alone  with  Lady  Mac- 
beth it  still  continues,  down  to  the  middle  of  v.  126.  And  then,  at  last,  he  awakes  from 
his  awful  dream,  one  of  those  "terrible  dreams"  that  have  now  invaded  his  strongest 
conscious  moments  to  stalk  through  his  noonday  hours  as  well  as  to  shake  him  nightly. 
And  as  he  wakes  he  turns  to  Lady  Macbeth  with  the  world-old  inquiry  that  follows  a 
night  of  agony,  "What  time  is  it?" 

The  "Enter  Ghost"  of  the  FO.  is  by  modern  editors  placed  after  v. 92;  but  the  FO. 
probably  represents  what  Shakspere  wrote,  for  it  corresponds  to  the  psychology  of  the 
play  as  well  as  to  its  action.     For,  as  at  v.  37,  it  is  the  thought  of  Banquo  in  Macbeth's 

mind  that  causes  the  ghost 

APT    ITT  QfFNF     TV  Q3      Qfi       to  appear,  and  as  the  thought 

AU  l      H1  S^CINE,    IV  Jl-JV       is  present  in  his  mind  before 

he  utters  the  words  of  v.  40, 
MACBETH  so  here  the  intention  to  drink 

Avant!   and  quit  my  sight !   let  the  earth  hide      Banquo's  health  is  in  Mac- 

i         i  beth's    mind    when    he    says 

tiiee  !  "fill  full,"  though  he  couples 

Thy  bones  are  marrowlesse,  thy  blood  is  cold ;  it  with  a  general  pledge ;  and 
Thou  hast  no  speculation  in  those  eyes  h  is  th_is  thought  of  Banquo, 

.„.,       lilt  i  not   the  words  that  express 

Which  thou  dost  glare  with.  itj  that  causes  his  image  to 

1  AfW   MAPRPTH  appear.     It  fits  in   with  the 

LADY  MACBETH  action>  also?  for  Macbeth  has 

Thinke  of  this,  good  peeres,       not  yet  sat  down;  he  will  sit 

But  as  a  thind  of  custome:   'tis  no  other;         d°wn  ah*r£  the   toast,  and 

-^       .  ill  p     i  then,  as  before,  the  intention 

Onely  it  spoyles  the  pleasure  ot  the  time.         to  take  Banquo's  place,  which 

his  ghost  forbids,  will,  as  it 
were,  make  the  subjective  notion  objective  and  arouse  anger.  Shakspere  thus  shows 
clearly  that  the  ghost  is  a  creation  of  Macbeth's  own  mind,  unseen  by  the  others.  Yet 
modern  editors  destroy  all  this,  and  then  argue  as  to  whether  the  ghost  was  real  or  ima- 
ginary. SF  94  The  MARROW  in  EL.  psychology  was  thought  of  as  the  seat  of  nerve  force. 
Vicary,  in  his  'Anatomie,'  ed.  1577,  calls  the  spinal  cord  the  "spinal  marrow,"  and  the 
term  is  still  in  popular  usage.  Shakspere  frequently  associates  the  word  with  nervous 
energy,  cp.  "my  marrow  burning"  Ven.&Ad.  142,  and  "Spending  his  manlie  marrow  in 
her  arms"  All's  W. II. 3. 298.     Here  the  ghost  is  said  to  be  without  feeling — 'dead  life.' 

125 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

THY  BLOOD  IS  COLD:  'cold-blooded'  is  still  a  phrase  for  'passionless/  cp.  "In  whose 
cold  blood  no  sparke  of  honor  bides"  3Hen.6  1. 1. 184.  But  in  EL.  E.  it  is  scientific  and 
not  figurative  language.  *ff95  SPECULATION,  'power  of  vision/  illustrating  an  earlier 
and  literal  meaning  of  the  word,  viz.,  'spying  out' ;  Othello  speaks  of  Cupid  'seeling  his 
speculative  instruments'  in  Oth.  1.3-270;  cp.  "nor  doth  the  eye  it  selfe  .  .  behold  it  selfe 
Not  going  from  it  selfe  .  .  For  speculation  turnes  not  to  it  selfe  Till  it  hath  travel'd  and  is 
married  there  Where  it  may  see  it  selfe"  Tro.&Cr.  III.  3. 106  (cited  by  Delius),  and  "Dead 
life,  blind  sight, poore  mortall  living  ghost"  Rich.3  IV. 4.26.  SF 97  OF  CUSTOME, ' habit- 
ual/cp.  "Our  dance  of  customc  .  .  letusnotforget"MerryW.V.5.79.  NO  OTHER  is  com- 
mon  M.E.  and  e. N.E.  idiom 

correspondingtoMN.E.'noth-        ATT'    TJT  SCFNF    IV  99-108 

ing  else.'      SF9SONELYIT       A^  X      U1  O^HIM  H     IV  J  J       I  US 

SPOYLES,'it  merely  spoils'  j 
for  the  position  and  meaning  MAUon  1  n 

of  "onely,"cp.  note  to  1.4.20.  What  man  dare,  I  dare: 

IF  99  As  in  v.  59  Macbeth  Approach  thou  like  the  rugged  Russian  beare, 

protests  his  human  courage.  The  arm'd  rhinoceros,  or  thr  Hircan  tiger; 

dare  is  an  old  subjunctive,  Take  any  shape  but  that,  and  my  firme  nerves 

i.e. 'what  any  man  may  dare       r»i     «  i  i  r>.     i  i-  r    ■ 

to  do.'    <ffioo  rugged  in     Shall  never  tremble.    Or  be  alive  againe, 
el.e.  may  mean  'shaggy/     And  dare  me  to  the  desart  with  thy  sword; 

cp.   "His  well   proportion'd       jf  tremblin^  J   inhabk  th  protest  mee 

beard  made  ruffe  and  rugged  5  '  f 

2Hen.6  in.  2. 175;  but  the      I  hebaby ot  agirle.    Hence, horrible  shadow! 

word    also    means    'fierce,'       Unreall  mock'ry,  hence! 

'  savage,     cp.    "  I  he    rugged  J 

Pyrrhus    like    th'  Hyrcanian  EXIT  GHOST 

beast"Ham.n.2.472.  From  Why,  so :  being  gone, 

™- HIRCAN    TIGER   of  the        j  .    .  p  j     Still. 

following  verse  it  would  seem  o  J   J       » 

that  the  latter  meaning  was 

intended  here.  RUSSIAN  BEARE:  Bear-baiting  was  a  familiar  sport  to  Shakspere's 
audience ;  cp.  "  Foolish  curres  [i.e.  mastiffs  used  in  bear-baiting]  that  runne  winking  into 
the  mouth  of  a  Russian  beare,  and  have  their  heads  crusht  like  rotten  apples"  Hen. 5 
III.  7. 153.  *ff  101  ARM'D  :  Shakspere's  epithet  is  explained  by  a  passage  from  Purchas's 
Pilgrimage,  vol. V,  p. 472:  "The  skinne  upon  the  upper  part  of  this  beast  [i.e.  the  "Rhi- 
nocerote"]  is  all  wrinkled  as  if  he  were  armed  with  shields."  HYRCAN  occurs  side  by 
side  with  Hyrcanian  in  EL.  E.  Shakspere  has  the  latter  form  in  Ham.  II.  2.  472,  and  "The 
Hircanion  deserts,"  i.e.  the  country  south  of  the  Caspian  Sea,  are  referred  to  in  Merch. 
II. 7.41.  The  form  "  Hyrcan"  occurs  in  Daniel's  Sonnets,  1594:  "To  Hyrcan  tigers 
and  to  ruthless  beares";  also  in  Holland's  Pliny.  The  fierceness  of  the  Hyrcanian 
tiger,  proverbial  in  EL.  literature,  is  probably  traceable  to  Vergil's  ^neis,  IV.  367  ff., 
where  Dido  speaks  of  her  lover's  cruelty:  Marlowe  translates  the  line,  'And  tigers  of 
Hyrcania  gave  thee  suck'  The  Tragedy  of  Dido,  Act  V.  <ff  102  NERVES, '  sinews/  a  com- 
mon EL.  meaning  of  the  word;  cp.  "Thy  nerves  are  in  their  infancy  againe"  Temp.  1.2.484. 
SF  104  DARE  ME  TO  THE  DESART:  Shakspere  elsewhere  twice  makes  use  of  this  ro- 
mantic form  of  defiance,  in  Rich.2  LI. 62  and  ibid.  IV.  1.74.  SF  105  INHABIT  THEN: 
the  words  have  given  much  difficulty;  *' inhabit"  is  often  used  absolutely  in  EL.E.  in  the 
sense  of  'dwell/  e.g.  "the  Ammonites  inhabited  northward"  Purchas's  Pilgrimage,  vol.  V, 
p.  97,  but  the  word  is  usually  accompanied  by  some  definition  of  place  as  in  "so  eating 
love  Inhabits  in  the  finest  wits  of  all"  Two  Gent.  1. 1.43-  It  may  be,  therefore,  that 
THEN  is  a  misprint  for  'there/  as  Delius  thought.     The  phrase  with  this  correction  would 

126 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

mean  '  If  I  tremble  while  I  wait  for  you  there/  and  would  make  excellent  sense.  But 
Milton  in  Paradise  Lost  VII.  162  ff.  has  the  same  idiom  as  appears  in  the  FO. :  "Mean 
while  inhabit  laxe,  ye  Powers  of  Heav'n,  And  thou,  my  Word,  begotten  son,  by  thee  This 
I  perform,  speak  thou  and  be  it  don"  (cited  by  Henley).  In  this  passage  "inhabit"  is 
clearly  used  in  the  sense  of  'remain,'  'keep,'  'stay' :  so  that  Macbeth's  words,  if  Milton's 
usage  is  here  norma  loquendi,  may  mean  '  If  I  keep  trembling  then,  etc'  Iachimo's  phrase, 
"I  lodge  in  feare"  Cym.  II. 2. 49»  gives  color  to  this  interpretation,  for  his  'in  feare'  is 
obviously  not  a  locative  but  a  modal  qualification  of  the  'dwelling'  notion.  It  has  been 
suggested  that  "inhabit"  may  be  a  by-form  of  'enhabit,'  but  as  far  as  the  quotations  of 
the  N.  E.  D.  show, '  enhabit '  has  no  meaning  in  EL.  E.  that  fits  the  context.  Many  absurd 
emendations  have  been  proposed  to  botch  the  passage  into  modern  idiom  ;  but,  as  is  usu- 
ally the  case,  their  presence  in  the  text  of  Shakspere  would  be  more  difficult  to  explain 
than  the  phrase  which  they  would  supplant,  for  they  not  only  betray  a  palpable  inferiority 
of  diction,  but  most  of  them  would  be  sheer  nonsense  in  the  English  of  any  period.  The 
use  of  TREMBLING  where  MN.E.  usage  prefers  'in  trembling'  is  paralleled  in  "with 
the  very  noise  I  trembling  waked"  Rich.  3  1.4.60.  PROTEST,  'make  public  declaration 
of,'  'proclaim,'  an  early  meaning  of  the  word,  cp.  "I  will  protest  your  cowardise"  Ado 
V.I. 149-  *lrI06  BABY, 'doll,'  N.E.D.  2,  cp.  "toying  with  babies"  Marston's  Scourge 
of  Villainy,  VIII. 207,  "A  baby  or  puppet  that  children  play  with,  pupus11  Phr.  Gen.,  and 
muneco  de  ninos,  a  babie,  a  puppet  for  children"  Percival's  Spanish  Diet.  "Puppet" 
was  a  common  epithet  of  opprobrium  in  EL.  E.,  still  retained  in  'cowardly  puppy,'  and  the 
two  forms,  'puppet'  and  'puppy,'  seem  to  have  been  equivalent  in  e.N.E.,  cp.  ucPupus 
autenij  a  babe  or  baby  or  a  puppet  .  .  anglice  puppy,  dicitur  quasi  parvus  puer11  Phr.  Gen. 
Some  have  taken  the  phrase  to  mean  'the  child  of  a  very  young  mother,'  but  without  a 
specific  qualification  like  'green'  or 'young'  "girl"  would  not  necessarily  mean  a  very 

youngmotherinEL.  E.    SF  107 

ACT  III  SCENE  IV  .09-116    K^*E3*°££ 

things  by  what  their  mock'- 
LADY  MACBETH  rics  be"  Hen.5  IV.Prol.53. 

You  have  displac'd  the  mirth,  broke  the  dood 

.      .       r  °  SFI09    DISPLAC'D,   'banish- 

meeting  cd?T  a  frequent  meaning  of  the 

With  most  admir'd  disorder.  wordinEL.E. :  seeN.E.D.  ib. 

THE     would     be     'our'     in 
MACBETH  MN.E.  BROKE, 'broken  up' : 

Can  such  things  be,     in  N-E-D-  2,f  the  ******  ci- 

x       ,  ...  tii  tation   tor   the   word  in   this 

And  overcome  us  like  a  summer  s  clowd,  sense  is  dated  1685,  and  its 

Without  our  speciall  wonder?    You  make  me     phraseological   limitation  is 

.         j  'to  break  (i.e.  dissolve)  par- 

Strange  liament,'  and  'to  break  (i.e. 

Even  to  the  disposition  that  I   Owe,  disband)  a  regiment';  but  the 

When   now  I    thinke  you   can   behold  such      sense  of 'breaking  up  a  com- 

,  J  pany   is  clearly  in  the  word  as 

SlgntS,  it  is  used  here  and  in  Hen. 8 

And  keepe  the  naturall  rubie  of  your  cheekes,      i.4.6i,  where  Wolsey  puns 

W71-  Li         U'J        -iU   £  after   the    Chamberlain   and 

When  mine  IS  blanch  d  With  feare.  his  attendants  leave  the  table: 

"You  have  now  a  broken 
banket,  but  wee'l  mend  it.  A  good  digestion  to  you  all."  For  the  form  of  the  word  see 
note  to  1.4.3-  SF  1 10  ADMIR'D,  'astonishing/'amazing,'  from  "admire,"  'to  be  amazed' ; 
as  in  "undaunted"  1.7.73,  the  -ed  suffix  has  its  EL.  causative  force.      *ff  III    That  is,  'and 

127 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

yet  only  pass  over  us  like  a  summer's  cloud.'  OVERCOME  in  EL.  E.  still  retained  enough 
of  its  literal  signification  of  'come  over,'  'pass  over,'  'cover,'  to  make  Macbeth's  simile 
of  the  oppression  of  a  summer  thunder-cloud  clear  to  Shakspere's  audience  ;  cp.  "  his  eyes 
were  overcome  with  fervor"  Chapman,  Iliad  XV  (cited  in  Cent.  Diet.).  The  same  figure 
occurs  in  Spenser's  Faerie  Queene,  III.  7.4  :  UA  little  valley  subject  to  the  same  [i.e.  lying 
on  the  hillside]  All  covered  with  thicke  woodes  that  quite  it  overcame"  (cited  in  part 
by  Farmer):  so  in  Titus  II.  3-  94 :  "The  trees  .  .  Orecome  with  mosse  and  balefull  mis- 
sleto."  Macbeth  seizes  on  the 'wonder'  notion  in  Lady  Macbeth's  "admir'd  disorder" 
and  philosophizes  upon  it.  In  SF  112  he  turns  and  speaks  directly  to  her.  STRANGE 
TO,  'unacquainted  with,'  'unfamiliar  with,'  cp.  "To  put  a  strange  face  on  his  owne  per- 
fection" Ado  II.  3.49.  SF  113  DISPOSITION  often  occurs  in  EL.  E.  where  MN.E.  employs 
'character.'  It  was  also  used  to  denote  'health  of  mind,'  see  N.E. D.  10  b.  OWE,  ' pos- 
sess,'as  in  1.4. 10.  Much  the  same  notion  occurs  in  Rom.&Jul.  III.  3- 109  ff.,  where  Friar 
Laurence  addresses  the  furi- 

°z?z:::*n,%zt:  act  m     scene  iv     m-m 

cries  out  thou  art :  Thy  teares 

are  womanish,  thy  wild  acts  KC)bbo 

denote  The  unreasonable  fu-  What  sights,  rny  lord? 

rie  of  a  beast.     Unseemely  LADY  MACBETH 

woman    in   a    seeming   man, 

And  ill  beseeming  beast  in      I  pray  you,  speake  not;  he  growes  worse  and 

seeming     both,    Thou     hast  wr^t-co  ♦ 

»j  d  1-  1  worse , 

amaz  d    me.       By    my    holy        -^  .  .  .  «       .    , 

order,  I  thought  thy  disposi-  Question  enrages  him:  at  once,  good  night, 
tion  better  temper'd."   SF 1 1 6     Stand  not  upon  the  order  of  your  going, 

MINE,  i.e.  my  cheeks;  it  is       R         , 

common  EL.  syntax  thus  to       Cut  8°  at  °nce- 

make  a  pronoun  stand  for  a  LENOX 

word  that  is  to  be  supplied  q00^  n[^Ut   and  better  health 

from  the  context,    out  in  at-        A  1   1   •      mi     .  1 

tempting    to    construe    the     Attend  his  Majesty ! 

passage  as  MN.E.  many  edi-  LADY  MACBETH 

tors  change   IS  to  'are,'  and  \  I,:—J„  a^^A   ^;^fU+  +«   ^11  I 

Cl.Pr.  makes  "mine"  stand  A  kinde  £°°d  m£ht  t0  a11 ! 
for  RUBIE.                                                                                                                         EXEUNT   LORDS 

*1F  116  Rosse  has  caught  the  word  SIGHTS, 'visions,' from  Macbeth's  somewhat  excited 
protest  to  his  wife.  SFII8  QUESTION,  'discussion,' cp.  1.3.43;  AT  ONCE, 'without 
more  ado.'  SFII9  STAND  NOT, 'attach  no  importance  to,' cp.  "we  stand  upon  our 
manners"  Wint.T.  IV. 4. 164.  The  phrase  has  become  stereotyped  in  MN.  E.,  and  is  often 
absurdly  used  where  only  one  person  is  concerned. 

In  the  passage  that  follows  Macbeth,  still  in  the  "fit"  and  absorbed  in  his  thoughts  about 
the  ghost,  pays  no  attention  to  the  breaking  up  of  the  company,  but  continues  to  ponder 
on  the  meaning  of  the  "strange  sight."  SF  122  He  quotes  a  current  popular  superstition, 
cp.  "Blood  will  have  blood,  so  ever  mought  it  be"  Peele,  'Tale  of  Troy'  321.  The 
Cambridge  Text  alters  the  punctuation  of  the  FO.,  placing  a  colon  after  BLOOD  and  a 
comma  after  SAY.  But  the  proverb  first  occurs  to  Macbeth  vaguely,  'they  say  it  [i.e. 
a  ghost]  will  haunt  one  until  it  is  revenged,  and  will  have  blood  expiation.'  Then  the 
exact  words  of  the  proverb  chant  their  ominous  refrain  through  his  mind.  "  Blood  will 
have  blood,"  i.e.  a  deed  of  murder  (N.E. D.  3  c)  will  not  be  satisfied  short  of  an  expiation 
by  blood-shedding  (N.  E.  D.  3  b).     To  alter  the  punctuation  not  only  flattens  out  the 

128 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

sense,  but   weakens  the  rhythm,  "  \  ' ""'  being  much    more    effective   than 

"  x  x  '  ||  "  '  ||  '  "  "  '.  SF  123  ff.  Shakspere  was  perhaps  thinking  of  the  tree  which  re- 
vealed the  murder  of  Polydorus  in  Vergil's  JBmis,  III. 22.  59r  as  Steevens  suggests;  he 
may  also  have  had  in  mind  the   story  told  in   Montaigne's   Essays,  II.  5  of  Bessus  the 

Pcenian,     which     was     "so 

ACT  III  SCENE  IV  .22-127     J™  * "eZTJSt!? ° 

how    Bessus,   "being    found 
MACBETH  fault  withall,  that  in  mirth  he 

It  will  have  blood,  they  say:  '  Blood  will  have     had  beaten  downe  a  nest  of 

Hi  »  young    sparrowes    and    then 

ooa    :  killed  them,  answered  he  had 

Stones  have  beene  knowne  to  move  and  trees      great  reason  to  doe  it ;  for  so 

tO   Speaker  much  as  those   young  birds 

«  r  i  1  1,  i  ceased  not  raisely  to  accuse 

Aupjures  and  understood  relations  have  him  to  have  murdered  his 

By  maddot  pyes  and  choughes  and  rookes     father,  which  parricide  was 

i          Z<U  +  (     tL  neversuspectedtohavebeene 

brought  lortfi  committed  by  him,  and  untill 

The    secret'st    man  of    blood.     What   is    the       that  day  had  layen  secret." 

njght?  *  I24  AUGUREsr?'-e-divina- 

o       *  tion,  especially  from  the  flight 

LADY  MACBETH                                      or    chirping    of    birds,    see 

Almost  at  oddeswith  mornind, which  is  which.      JJl?-  ?•  s-v-  anf  !ts  citations : 

°  1  o  lerne  and  know  by  au- 

gures  and  divinacions  of 
briddis"  Book  of  Noblesse,  1475;  "a  good  augur  or  foreboding  of  a  martiall  minde" 
Florio's  Montaigne,  1 603.  The  word  is  an  EL.  by-form  of  'augury'  (cp.  O.FR.  augure). 
RELATIONS,  'utterances,'  here  of  birds,  as  in  the  story  of  Bessus;  a  somewhat  forced 
interpretation  of  'secret  relations  between  things'  (Schmidt,  following  Johnson)  has  been 
put  upon  the  phrase.  SF  125  MAGGOT  PYES,  the  EL.  form  of  'magpie.'  CHOUGHES 
was  a  popular  name  applied  somewhat  widely  to  all  the  smaller  chattering  species  of 
birds,  but  especially  to  the  common  jackdaw,  see  N.E.  D.  4.  Shakspere  again  refers  to 
the  bird  in  Mids.  III.  2. 21.  N.E.  D.  has  a  citation  from  Wilkinson,  1620,  which  groups 
together  "Crowes,  rookes,  choghes,  pyes,  jeyes,  ringdoves."  BROUGHT  FORTH,  'dis- 
covered,' 'brought  to  light,'  a  common  meaning  of  the  word  in  Shakspere;  see  N.E. D. 
16  d.  SF 126  SECRET'ST:  for  the  form  of  the  word  see  note  to  1.5. 3  ;  for  the  meaning 
cp.  "in  this  city  will  I  stay  And  live  alone  as  secret  as  I  may"  2Hen.6  IV. 4. 47.  WHAT 
IS  THE  NIGHT?  seems  to  be  formed  on  the  analogy  of  'What  is  the  time?'  i.e.  How  goes 
the  time?  In  M.E.  and  e.N.E.  WHAT  is  frequently  used  in  idiom  that  requires  'how'  in 
MN.E.  The  sudden  awakening  of  Macbeth  to  a  sense  of  his  surroundings  as  he  emerges 
from  his  delirium  with  the  question  'What  time  is  it?'  is  a  wonderfully  dramatic  touch  of 
human  interest.  IF  127  ALMOST  AT  ODDES,  i.e.  on  the  point  of  quarrelling,  cp.  "I  do 
not  know  that  Englishman  alive  With  whom  my  soule  is  any  jot  at  oddes"  Rich. 3  II.  1.69- 

Again,  as  normal  consciousness  returns  to  him,  Macbeth's  mind  takes  up  its  interrupted 
activities,  the  interval  of  unconscious  action  being  a  blank  to  him.  He  says  to  himself, 
Not  only  was  Banquo  absent  from  the  table,  but  Macduff  also.  What  does  Macduff's 
absence  mean?  Then,  turning  to  Lady  Macbeth,  he  puts  the  question  in  v.  128,  'What 
do  you  think  of  this  absence  of  Macduff's?'  The  new  train  of  "consequence"  that  will 
precipitate  Macbeth's  doom  is  thus  artfully  joined  without  a  break  on  to  the  old.  The 
menace  of  Banquo's  being  and  the  rebuke  of  Banquo's  genius  are  no  sooner  disposed  of 
than   Macduff  begins  to  threaten    Macbeth's  peace  and  provide  fresh  work  for  Ruin, 

129 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


Macbeth's  royal  'champion  to  the  utterance.'  Thus  is  the  aesthetic  continuity  of  this 
rapid  tragedy  maintained,  event  involving  event  in  continuous  series,  but  all  so  wrought 
together  as  to  present  a  single  picture.  To  secure  this  end  Shakspere,  as  usual,  departs 
from  Holinshed's  account.  There  it  is  the  building  of  Macbeth's  castle  of  Dunsinane  that 
provokes  Macduff's  surly  'denial  of  his  person'  to  Macbeth:  "Macbeth  being  once  de- 
termined to  have  the  worke  go  forward,  caused  the  thanes  of  each  shire  within  the  realme 
to  come  and  helpe  towards  that  building,  each  man  his  course  about."  When  Macduff's 
turn  comes  he  sends  his  quota  of  material  and  his  contingent  of  workmen,  but  refuses  to 
come  himself,  and  his  refusal 

MachbetChause  °f  °ffenCe  t0     ACT  IH  SCENE  IV  128-140 


SF  128  HOW  SAY'ST  THOU 
THAT  MACDUFF  DENIES? 
'What  do  you  say  to  Mac- 
duff's refusal?'  cp. "  Launce, 
how  saiest  thou  that  my 
master  is  become  a  notable 
lover?"  Two  Gent.  II.  5. 42. 
Though  there  is  no  comma 
after  THOU  in  FO.  I,  modern 
editors,  including  the  Cam- 
bridge Text,  insert  one,  mak- 
ing nonsense  of  the  passage. 
The  expression  in  EL.  E.  is 
not  exclamatory  but  inter- 
rogative: "How  [in  e.N.E.] 
is  sometimes  used  interrog- 
ativelyfor  what, "as  Phr.Gen. 
says,  illustrating  by  "how 
(i.e.  what)  think  you  ?  Quid  tibi 
viditur."  "  H  o w  mean  you  ?  " 
is  another  common  e.N.E. 
idiom  of  this  sort.  DENIES 
HIS  PERSON,  'refuses  his 
presence':  the  common  MN. 
E.  phrase  '  in  person '  contains 
the  word  in  this  early  sense ; 
cp.  "I'le  .  .  tender  your 
persons  to  his  presence" 
Wint.T.  IV.  4.  826.       SF  129 


MACBETH 
How  say'st  thou   that   Macduff  denies   his 

person 
At  our  great  bidding? 

LADY  MACBETH 

Did  you  send  to  him,  sir? 
MACBETH 
I  heare  it  by  the  way,  but  I  will  send: 
There  's  not  a  one  of  them  but  in  his  house 
I  keepe  a  servant  fee'd.     I  will  to  morrow, 
And  betimes  I  will,  to  the  weyard  sisters. 
More  shall  they  speake,  for  now  I  am  bent 

to  know 
By  the  worst  meanes  the  worst.     For  mine 

owne  good 
All  causes  shall  give  way.     I  am  in  blood 
Stept  in  so  farre  that,  should  I  wade  no  more, 
Returning  were  as  tedious  as  go  ore : 
Strange  things  I   have  in  head  that  will  to 

hand, 
Which  must  be  acted  ere  they  may  be  scan'd. 


GREAT  is  still  used  in  MN.  E. 
in  some  phrases,  like  'great  house,'  'great  family,'  with  the  meaning  'noble,'  'pertaining 
to  persons  of  high  rank  or  office,'  but  "great  bidding"  would  not  now  mean  'royal  com- 
mand,' as  it  evidently  did  in  Shakspere's  time;  cp.  "great  command  [i.e.  royal  authority] 
o're-swaies  the  order"  Ham. V.I. 251.  BIDDING,  'command,'  not  'invitation'  —  a  king 
commands  his  guests;  the  latter  sense  of  the  word  is  not  older  than  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury ;  cp.  "the  thunder  would  not  peace  at  my  bidding"  Lear  IV. 6. 103.  Lady  Macbeth's 
counter-question,  'Did  you  send  a  special  messenger  to  invite  him?'  illustrates  the  EL. 
absolute  usage  of  SEND  in  the  sense  of  'send  a  messenger.'  It  occurs  again  in  "  Seyton, 
send  out"  V.3-49.  TO  HIM  is  probably  intended  to  be  contracted, —  see  note  to  1.3- 
119,  —  with  SIR  (the  usual  EL.  form  of  address  to  a  sovereign,  corresponding  to  the 
French  'Sire')  a  stressed  impulse.     There  is  nothing  remarkable  in   Lady  Macbeth's 

130 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

thus  addressing  her  husband:  quite  misunderstanding  the  EL.  use  of  "send,"  and  exag- 
gerating the  significance  of  Lady  Macbeth's  "Sir,"  critics  comment  upon  a  supposed 
change  in  Lady  Macbeth's  character:  'She  now  addresses  him  in  the  humbled  tone  of  an 
inferior;  we  now  see  fright  and  astonishment  seated  on  her  face.'  Macbeth  would  hardly 
have  asked  his  wife  what  she  thought  of  Macduff's  sulkiness  if  this  had  been  her  relation 
to  him.  «ff  130  The  EL.  phrase  BY  THE  WAY  is  slightly  different  from  MN.E.  'by  the 
way,'  and  is  tantamount  to  'incidentally' ;  cp.  Cotgrave's  "en  passant,  accidentally,  by  the 
way."  *1F  131  Holinshed  notices  this  system  of  back-stairs  espionage  which  Macbeth 
practised  on  his  nobles.  A  ONE:  many  modern  editors,  unfamiliar  with  the  EL.  usage  of 
ONE  in  the  sense  of  'person,'  have  subjected  the  phrase  to  such  emendations  as  'not  a 
man,'  'not  a  thane,'  in  order  to  prevent  Shakspere  from  being  'guilty'  of  faulty  locution ; 
but  cp.  the  quotation  from  Golding  in  the  note  to  1.7.47.  SF  1 32  I  WILL,  i.e.  I  will  go,  the 
usual  EL.  omission  of  the  verb  of  motion.  SF  133  The  verse  seems  to  lack  an  unstressed 
syllable.  If  TO  THE  is  not  contracted  into  "to  th',"  WEYARD  is  to  be  read  as  a  monosylla- 
ble ;  the  former  scansion  is  preferable,  but  perhaps  the  verse  is  not  authentic.  SF  134  TO 
KNOW:  MN.E.  uses  the  phrase  'on  knowing.'  <TF  135  GOOD  has  here  its  EL.  sense  of  'ad- 
vantage' ;  the  stress  mine  owne  good  is  different  from  that  of  the  MN.E.  phrase.  *1F  136 
CAUSES,  ' matters  of  dispute '  and  so  ' interests,'  cp.  " The  extreme  parts  of  time  extreme- 
lie  formes  All  causes  to  the  purpose  of  his  speed"  L.L.L.  V.  2.750.  In  EL.  E.  the  u  in 
BLOOD  had  not  yet  developed  to  a,  so  that  the  word  was  a  perfect  rhyme  to  "good."  SF  137 
STEPT  IN  :  a  similar  notion  occurs  in  "  a  friend  of  mine,  who  in  hot  blood  Hath  stept  into 
the  law,  which  is  past  depth  To  those  that  without  heede  do  plundge  intoo  't"  Timon  III. 
5. 1 1  ;  cp.  also  "  But  I  am  in  So  farre  in  blood  that  sinne  will  pluck  on  sinne"  Rich. 3  IV. 
2.64.  The  repetition  of  the  preposition  in  such  phrases  is  common  EL.  syntax.  MORE, 
'farther,'  a  frequent  e. N.E.  sense  of  the  word,  cp.  "And  yet  we  ascended  mor  and  came 
to  the  place  wher  ower  Savyor  Crist  .  .  wepte"  Tarkington,  cited  in  Cent.  Diet.  SF  138 
GO:  the  infinitive  without  "to  "was  frequently  employed  in  EL.  E.  where  MN.E.  requires 
the  prepositional  form  ;  it  here  corresponds  to  the  MN.  E.  present  participle  in  -ing.  SF  1 39 
IN  HEAD,  'in  mind,'  cp.  '"T  is  in  my  head  to  doe  my  master  good"  Tarn,  of  Shr.  II.  1.408  ; 
"head"  in  EL. E.  frequently  means 'mind' as  here;  this  usage  is  preserved  in  MN.  phrases 
like  'out  of  one's  head,' and  in  the  MN.  colloquial  usage  of  'head'  in  the  sense  of  'mental 
power.'  WILL  TO  HAND,  i.e.  will  come  to  hand.  ^140  ACTED,  'carried  into  execu- 
tion,' a  common  EL.  meaning  of  the  verb,  cp.  "thou  wast  a  spirit  too  delicate  To  act  her 
earthy  and  abhord  commands"  Temp.  1.2.272.  SCAN'D  is  a  somewhat  stronger  word  in 
EL.E.  than  in  MN.E.,  and  here  means  'carefully  considered,'  'judged,'  cp.  "that  would 

be   scann'd"   Ham.  III. 3. 75. 

ACT  III  SCENE  IV  141 -144     £££&££££* 

through    his    bloody   course, 

LADY  MACBETH  the  sooner  to  reach  the  end  of 

You  lacke  the  season  of  all  natures,  sleepe.     it  and  attain  his 'peace';  then 

he  'will  tell  pale-hearted  fear 
MACBETH  it  jies>  ancj  sjeep  in  spite  Q£ 

Come,  wee '1  to  sleepe.     My  strange  and  self-     thunder.' 

Lady     Macbeth     reads     his 
Is  the  initiate  feare  that  wants  hard  use:  thought,  and  with  marvellous 

We  are  vet  but  yond  in  deed.  skiU  turns  [t  to  her  practical 

J  J       a  purpose  of  getting  him  to  bed. 

EXEUNT        <$l4l    SEASON, 'seasoning,' 

'that  which   preserves  from 

decay,'  cp.  "  And  good  men  like  the  sea  should  still  maintain  Their  noble  taste  in  midst  of  all 

fresh  humours  .  .  Bearing  no  season,  much  lesse  salt  of  goodnesse"  Ben  Jonson,  'Cynthia's 

131 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

Revells'  V.  I  (cited  in  Cent. Diet.).  NATURES,  'forms  of  life/  cp.  note  to  1.7.68.  Shak- 
spere  expresses  the  same  notion  in  Lear  IV. 4. 12  :  "our  foster  nurse  of  nature  is  repose, 
The  which  he  lackes"  ;  Boorde,  likewise,  in  his  Dietary,  E.  E.  T.  S.,  p.  244,  says,  "  It  [i.e. 
sleep]  doth  restore  nature,"  i.e.  makes  life  fresh  again  when  it  has  lost  its  savour.  *1F  142 
STRANGE  AND  SELF-ABUSE,  i.e.  my  strange  delusion:  Delius  long  ago  called  attention 
to  the  fact  that  "  self-abuse"  is  an  EL.  syntactical  compound  of  'self  and  'abuse'  in  its 
common  EL.  sense  of  'deception'  referred  to  in  the  note  on  II.  1.50,  and  not  our  MN.E. 
compound  word  'self-abuse' ;  "self-  "  is  treated  like  an  adjective,  hence  the  AND.  SF  143 
INITIATE  FEARE,  i.e.  the  fear  of  the  novice:  perfect  participles  of  polysyllabic  verbs 
in  -d  in  M.  E.  and  e.  N.  E.  often  took  no  suffix.  Shakspere  uses  this  form  as  an  adjective, 
Macbeth's  notion  being  that  of  a  raw  recruit  or  'fresh-water  soldier'  whose  fear  wants 
hard  usage,  cp.  "when  we  in  our  viciousnesse  grow  hard  (Oh  misery  on  'tl),  the  wise 
Gods  seele  our  eyes"  Ant.&Cl.  III.  13- 1 1 1.  He  adds  'We  are  but  young  in  action,'  see 
N.E.  D.  'deed'  5  b.     FO.  I  prints  "indeed,"  but  this  seems  to  be  a  printer's  error. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  V 

There  is  good  reason  to  conclude  that  this  scene  is  a  later  addition  to  Macbeth,  designed 
to  furnish  more  of  that  spectacular  interest  which,  as  we  know  from  contemporary  ac- 
counts, was  a  popular  accompaniment  of  early  representations  of  the  play.  Its  witches 
are  quite  unlike  those  of  the  earlier  scenes.  Hitherto  the  instruments  of  darkness  have 
been  akin  to  those  mysterious  creatures  of  the  elder  world  with  which  the  Germanic 
imagination  peopled  the  moors  and  fens  of  northern  Europe.  They  have  little  in  common 
with  classical  demonology.  Fates  and  Furies  at  once,  like  Grendel,  'they  will  work 
mischief  until  the  end  cometh,'  and  no  one  to  hinder.  It  is  their  fatal  power  that  makes 
them  terrible  and  invests  them  with  the  mysterious  awfulness  of  a  predestinated  doom  — 
a  seductive  terror  which  has  always  appealed  strongly  to  the  Northern  imagination.  En- 
gendered of  the  mist  and  fog,  they  are  awful  from  their  very  vagueness  and  formlessness. 
They  are  nameless  horrors  haunting  the  by-paths  of  moral  conduct,  lying  in  wait  for  him 
who  will  entertain  evil  purposes.  One  must  ever  be  on  his  guard  that  he  be  not  unwit- 
tingly trapped  into  their  clutches.  One  must  shut  his  ears  and  flee  from  them  :  Macbeth 
listens  and  stands  irresolute,  and  his  irresolution  costs  him  the  loss  of  his  soul.  In  the 
persons  of  witches  they  work  the  petty  tragedies  of  village  life,  drowning  sailors,  blighting 
corn,  blasting  cattle ;   but  their  chief  business  is  the  seduction  of  human  souls. 

As  Shakspere  has  presented  them  in  the  previous  scenes,  they  are  a  mysterious  trinity 
of  mischief-makers  who  come  and  are  gone,  swirling  through  the  action  of  the  play  like 
formless  wraiths.  But  in  this  scene  they  are  fixed  and  sharply  drawn  according  to  the 
classic  notions  of  mediaeval  demonology.  Hecate  is  their  queen,  and  with  all  the  offended 
dignity  of  a  peevish  schoolmistress  she  chides  their  recreancy  for  'trading  and  trafficking 
with  Macbeth  in  riddles  and  affairs  of  death';  and,  having  learned  their  lesson  in  good 
manners,  they  are  to  meet  their  dame  at  the  pit  of  Acheron.  They  are  like  the  artificial 
creations  of  Jonson's  Masque  of  Queenes  or  of  Middleton's  Witch,  not  like  Shakspere's 
embodiment  of  a  mystery-loving  Germanic  folk-lore. 

And  their  relation  to  Macbeth  is  different  from  what  it  was  before.  Hitherto  it  has 
been  the  fatal  meeting  of  Macbeth's  evil  ambition  and  their  evil  purposes  that  brings  them 
into  his  life.  He  does  not  seek  them  J  they  cross  his  path.  His  bargain  with  them  is  a 
tacit  one,  and  he  hopes  to  escape  from  his  share  in  the  fulfilment  of  it  by  ignoring  its  ex- 
istence. He  thinks  himself  strong  enough  to  use  these  supernatural  powers,  and  when 
he  has  gained  his  end  to  cast  them  aside.  His  "  I  will  to  the  weyard  sisters"  in  III. 4. 132  ff. 
sounds  like  Middleton  rather  than  Shakspere,  cp.  'The  Witch'  I.I  where  Almachildes 
says,  "  I  am  a  little  headstrong  and  so  Are  most  of  the  company.     I  will  to  the  witches ; 

132 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

They  say  they  have  charms  and  tricks,  etc."  The  whole  setting  of  Scene  I  of  Act  IV, 
too,  implies  a  chance  meeting  like  that  of  1.3.  If  Macbeth  has  sought  them  out  in  their 
cave,  why  is  Lenox  in  Scene  I  of  Act  IV?  It  is  not  unlikely,  therefore,  that  these  two 
verses  are  part  of  the  machinery  that  introduces  Scene  V,  and  that  as  originally  conceived 
the  passage  ran : 

"There's  not  a  one  of  them  but  in  his  house 
I  keep  a  servent  feed :   I  am  bent  to  know 
By  the  worst  means,  the  worst,  etc."  ; 

that  Macbeth  does  not  tell  Lady  Macbeth  that  he  "will  to  the  weyard  sisters";  and 
that  he  has  only  a  vague  purpose  in  his  mind  whose  presence  is  sufficient  to  bring  about 
another  meeting  with  the  sisters,  apparently  accidental,  but  really  fatally  ordained.  When 
he  meets  them  in  IV.  1.48  his  words  are  an  expression  of  surprise,  "What  is  't  you  do?" 
They  'harp  his  fear  aright,'  and  without  his  asking  them  they  cry  "Beware  Macduff!" 
The  witches'  words  in  IV.  1. 61  likewise  suggest  an  accidental  meeting  rather  than  a  meet- 
ing by  appointment  with  the  king. 

Again,  how  is  it  possible  for  any  one  who  has  followed  the  action  intelligently  up  to 
this  point  to  conceive  of  the  witch  dame's  calling  Macbeth  'a  wayward  son,  spiteful  and 
wrathful'?     (See  the  note  on  the  passage.) 

And  not  only  does  the  treatment  of  the  subject-matter  violate  the  organic  unity  of  the 
play,  the  style  and  verse  structure  also  are  quite  unlike  Shakspere's.  The  words  lack  the 
richness  of  association  which  characterizes  Shakspere's  English:  Hecate  is  "mistris  of 
their  charmes,"  "close  contriver  of  all  harmes,"  what  they  "have  done  hath  bene  but  for 
a  wayward  sonne,  Spightfull  and  wrathfull,  who  .  .  Loves  for  his  owne  ends,  not  for  you." 
"Thither  he  Will  come  to  know  his  destinie" — these  and  other  such  forms  of  expression 
in  the  scene  lack  those  dramatic  and  intimate  associations  drawn  from  actual  life  that 
distinguish  Shakspere's  writing  from  that  of  his  contemporaries.  The  artificial  divisions 
of  the  thought  to  make  the  rhymes  fit  into  their  proper  places,  and  the  consequent  padding 
out  of  the  idea  to  fill  the  measure,  like  "Your  vessels  and  your  spels  provide,  Your 
charmes,  and  every  thing  beside,"  or  "  who,  as  others  do,  Loves  for  his  owne  ends,  not  for 
you,"  are  not  at  all  in  Shakspere's  style.  The  verse  form,  four-wave  rising  rhythm 
rhymed  in  couplets,  is  one  that  Shakspere,  with  his  instinctive  appreciation  of  the  fitness 
of  a  falling  rhythm  for  such  subjects,  does  not  use  in  treating  supernatural  interests.  For 
such  subjects  he  employs  an  inimitably  capricious  falling  rhythm,  full  of  starts  and  turns, 
made  up  usually  of  two  phrases,  as  in  "On  the  ground  Sleepe  sound,  I  'le  apply  To  your 
eie,  Gentle  lover  remedy"  (Mids.  III. 2.448),  or  "Double,  double,  toile  and  trouble:  Fire 
burne  and  cauldron  bubble,"  or  "  Sleepe  shall  neyther  night  nor  day  Hang  upon  his  pent- 
house lid,"  all  of  which  are  essential  variations  of  the  same  rhythm  theme.  But  "  I  am 
for  th'  ayre  :  this  night  I  'le  spend  Unto  a  dismall  and  a  fatall  end"  is  built  upon  an  entirely 
different  theme,  and  is  a  form  of  rhythm  that  Shakspere  does  not  use  in  continuous  verse. 
This  rhythm  lacks,  too,  that  lyric  quality  which  the  certainty  of  stress  incidence  gives. 
Such  verses  as  "Have  I  not  reason,  beldams  as  you  are,"  or  "And,  which  is  worse,  all 
you  have  done,"  or  "And  you  all  know  security  Is  mortals'  cheefest  enemie"  are  in  narra- 
tive and  not  in  lyric  rhythm.  The  abrupt  ending  of  the  verse  on  monosyllabic  words,  which  by 
its  staccato  effect  gives  Shakspere's  witch  rhythm  its  eerie  music,  is  lacking  in  "  Will  come  to 
know  his  destinie,"  "As  by  the  strength  of  their  illusion  Shall  draw  him  on  to  his  confusion," 
and  "And  you  all  know  security  Is  mortals' cheefest  enemie,"  where  the  final  stresses  fall 
on  secondary  syllables,  —  to  say  nothing  of  the  inappropriateness  of  such  a  platitude  as  this 
last  in  lyric  poetry,  for  men  do  not  sing  philosophy,  nor  would  Shakspere  have  been  likely 
to  finish  a  lyric  strain  with  a  commonplace  of  classic  literature,  neminem  celerius  opprimi 
quam  qui  nihil  timeret,  even  did  he  know  it  in  Ben  Jonson's  version  :  "  Be  not  secure  :  non 
swiftlyer  are  opprest  Than  they  whom  confidence  betrays  to  rest"  Sejanus  II. 2. 

133 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

In  view,  then,  of  the  awkwardness  of  this  scene,  its  palpable  violation  of  the  theme 
interest  of  the  tragedy,  its  artificial  structure,  and  its  unShaksperian  style,  one  need  have 
little  fear  that  in  repudiating  it  he  is  in  danger  of  lessening  Shakspere's  credit  or  of  doing 
violence  to  the  principles  of  sound  literary  criticism. 

The  question  arises:  Who  interpolated  these  and  the  other  obvious  patchwork  pieces 
into  Macbeth?  Many  considerations  point  to  Middleton  as  being  responsible  for  them. 
In  his  Witch  he  makes  use  of  the  same  conceptions  of  Hecate  and  her  crew  that  are  found 
in  this  scene,  and  in  this  play  is  found  the  notion  of  witches  having  lovers,  see  note  to  III. 
5.10;  in  his  Trick  to  Catch  an  Old  One,  Scene  II  of  Act  V,  as  well  as  in  parts  of  his 
Witch,  he  makes  continuous  use  of  the  verse  form  we  have  in  this  scene ;  throughout  the 
Witch  are  scattered  palpable  imitations  of  Macbeth  J  and  in  it  occur  in  full  the  two  songs 
that  the  stage  directions  (vv.  33  and  35)  call  for.  The  Witch  was  written  some  time 
before  Middleton's  death,  for  he  speaks  in  his  preface  of  'having  recovered  into  his  hands, 
after  much  difficulty,  this  ignorantly  ill  fated  labour'  of  his,  which  can  only  mean  that  the 
play  had  been  unsuccessfully  put  upon  the  stage  some  years  before  he  wrote  it  out  for 
Thomas  Holmes,  Esq.  A  passage  from  this  play  occurs  in  Davenant's  version  and  ex- 
pansion of  Macbeth,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  Middleton  and  not  Davenant  is  respon- 
sible for  much  of  the  padding  out  which  appears  in  Davenant's  version.  But  the  whole 
question  has  not  yet  been  sufficiently  investigated  for  us  to  pronounce  with  any  degree  of 
certainty  whether  or  not  Middleton  is  responsible  for  the  few  obvious  additions  in  Shak- 
spere'-s  Macbeth  as  printed  in  the  Folio  of  1623,  and  still  less  with  any  degree  of  proba- 
bility that  Davenant  made  use  of  a  version  of  Macbeth  by  Middleton,  which  was  cut  down 
to  the  presumably  Shaksperian  matter  by  the  editors  of  the  Folio.  The  play  is  complete 
as  it  stands,  and,  when  clearly  understood,  possesses  the  peculiar  organic  unity  so  char- 
acteristic of  Shakspere.  We  may  therefore  conclude  that  even  if  there  was  a  fuller  form 
of  it  current  on  the  stage,  it  was  there  only  to  make  Macbeth  longer  and  more  entertaining, 
and  that  the  editors  of  the  Folio  did  wisely  in  excising  it  to  its  present  dimensions. . 


SCENE  V:  A  HEATH:  THUNDER 
ENTER  THE  THREE  WITCHES  MEETING  HECAT 

FIRST   WITCH 


1-5 


^HY,  how  now,  Hecat,  you  looke 
ansjerly  ? 


SF I    For  the   form    HECAT  "j" 
and  the  place  of   Hecate  in 
EL.  demonology,  cp.  note  to 
II.  1.52.    ANGERLY  is  an  EL. 
by-form  of   the  adverb  that 
appears    side   by    side    with 
'angrily':  see  N.  E.  D.  and  cp. 
"angerly    (in    look),    torve" 
Holyoke,    1677.     The    word 
occurs  in  John  IV.  1. 82, "  Nor 
looke  upon  the  iron  angerly." 
SF  2    For  the  notion   of   the 
witch  dame's  holding  her  sub- 
ordinates to  account,  cp.  note  to  1.3. 1.    BELDAMS  AS  YOU  ARE,  i.e.  you  hags ;  the  word 
"beldam"  originally  meant  'grandmother'  or  'old  woman';  but  in  the  sixteenth  century 
it  gained  the  depreciative  sense  of  'virago," hag.'     For  "as  you  are"  in  such  expressions 
as  this,  MN.E.  prefers 'that  you  are';  cp.  "coward  as  thou  art  rt  Rich.3  1.4.286.     Ine.N.E. 

134 


HECAT 
Have   I   not  reason,  beldams  as 
-you  are? 

Sawcy  and  over-bold,  how  did  you  dare 
To  trade  and  trafficke  with  Macbeth 
In  riddles  and  affaires  of  death; 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ARE  had  a  literary  form  sounded  like  the  'air'  that  is  often  heard  in  MN.  dialects,  so  that 
the  rhyme  'are  :  dare'  is  a  perfect  one.  MN.  editors  generally  depart  from  the  FO.  print- 
ing, placing  a  comma  after  ARE  and  an  interrogation-point  after  OVER-BOLD,  beginning 
a  new  sentence  with  HOW.  But  there  is  no  ground  for  this  ;  indeed,  as  is  usually  the  case, 
the  departure  weakens  the  sense,  for  Hecate  means  that  the  witches  are  saucy  and  over- 
bold in  trading  and  trafficking  with  Macbeth :  cp.  the  similar  departure  from  the  FO.  in 
II. 4.  27.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  Shakspere  has  not  represented  Macbeth  as  ''trading 
and  trafficking"  with  the  witches.     The  very  essence  of  the  tragedy  lies  in  the  fact  that 

Macbeth's  ambition  and  the 


ACT  III 


SCENE  V 


6-25 


purposes  of  the  powers  of  evil 
come  together  fatally,  not 
through  Macbeth's  seeking. 

SF7  CLOSE, 'secret,' a  com- 
mon EL.  meaning  of  the  word. 
*Ir9  OUR  ART:  itisnot"art" 
but  'nature'  that  characterizes 
the  workings  of  Shakspere's 
wayward  sisters.  SF  1 0  ff. 
WHICH  IS  WORSE  isacom- 
mon  EL.  E.  idiom  correspond- 
ing to  MN.E.  'what  is  worse.' 
The  lines  really  belong  in 
Middleton's  Witch,  where  the 
disgusting  theme  of  sexual 
love  between  witches  and 
young  men  is  treated  ad  nau- 
seam. With  his  usual  moral 
healthfulness  and  good  sense, 
Shakspere  avoids  such  noi- 
some themes.  *1F  1 5  The  glar- 
ing inconsistency  of  THE 
PIT  OF  ACHERON  is  ex- 
plained by  modern  editors  on 
the  assumption  that  Shak- 
spere meant  his  audience  to 
Upon   the   corner  of  the  mOOne  understand    by     "Acheron" 

some  foul  tarn  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood !  The  phrase  seems 
to  be,  not  a  reference  to  the 
river  Acheron  of  the  lower 
world,  but  to  the  EL.  notion  of  Acherusia;  cp.  Cooper's  Thesaurus:  "Acherusia  .  .  is 
also  a  poole  or  mere  of  Thesportia  [sic  for  Thesprotia]  in  Epyre,  out  of  which  issueth  the 
ryver  Acheron.  .  .  Acherusia  is  also  a  hole  or  cave  which  the  poets  suppose  to  be  a  way 
into  hell."  <lr2I  DISMALL,  'calamitous,'  'disastrous,'  cp.  note  to  1.2.53-  SF  22  BUSI- 
NESSE  may  be  a  plural  form  like  "riches,"  "largesse,"  cp.  note  to  II.  1. 14 ;  the  word  had 
an  inflectionless  plural  in  EL.  E.,  e.g.  "during  all  these  great  businesse  "  Browne, '  Polex.' 
(1647)  1.66,  as  cited  in  N.E.  D.  s.v.  15.  So  the  sense  of  this  passage  may  be  'important 
tasks,'  cp.  note  to  II.  1.48.  But  "businesse"  also  means  'disturbance,'  'commotion'  in 
EL.E.,  cp.  note  to  II.  3.86.  SF  23  That  CORNER  OF  THE  MOONE  is  not  an  unusual 
poetical  expression,  imitated  by  Milton  in  his  "To  the  corners  of  the  moon,"  as  it  has 
been  explained  to  be,  but  a  common  EL.  idiom  for  the  'horn  of  the  moon,'  is  shown  by 
Cooper's  translation  of  Ovid's  "cornua  lunaria"  by  "the  poynts  or  corners  ofthemoone." 

135 


And  I,  the  mistris  of  your  charmes, 

The  close  contriver  of  all  harmes, 

Was  never  call'd  to  beare  my  part, 

Or  shew  the  glory  of  our  art? 

And,  which  is  worse,  all  you  have  done 

Hath  bene  but  for  a  wayward  sonne, 

Spightfull  and  wrathfull ;  who,  as  others  do, 

Loves  for  his  owne  ends,  not  for  you. 

But  make  amends  now:  get  you  gon, 

And  at  the  pit  of  Acheron 

Meete  me  i'  thT  morning:  thither  he 

Will  come  to  know  his  destinie: 

Your  vessels  and  your  spels  provide, 

Your  charmes,  and  every  thing  beside. 

I  am  for  th?  ayre;  this  night  I 'le  spend 

Unto  a  dismall  and  a  fatall  end. 

Great  businesse  must  be  wrought  ere  noone: 

)on  the  corner  of  the  moone 
There  hangs  a  vap'rous  drop  profound; 
I  ?le  catch  it  ere  it  come  to  ground: 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SF  24  Steevens's  inference  that  VAP'ROUS  DROP  is  a  reference  to  the  virus  lunar e  of  mediae- 
val demonology,  mentioned  in  Lucan's  Pharsalia,  VIr  is  probably  correct.  For  though 
this  phrase  has  commonly  a  different  meaning  in  EL.E.  (see  Cooper  s.v.  virus  lunare), 
Thomas  May,  1627,  renders  the  Lucan  passage  u virus  large  lunare  ministrat" hy  "of  the 
moones  poysonous  gelly  store  she  takes."  PROFOUND  seems  to  be  used  here  in  its  sense 
'of   deep    significance/   with 

ACT  III  SCENE  V 


perhaps  a  reminiscence  of 
the  Latin  prof  undo,  'poured 
forth.' 

*ff  26  SLIGHTS,  ' arts,'  ' con- 
trivances,' a  meaning  still 
preserved  in  MN.  E.' sleight  of 
hand.'  SF  27  ARTIFICIALL, 
'cunning,'  shading  into  'de- 
ceitful,' a  meaning  that  has 
gone  over  to  '  artful,'  cp.  "  thy 
prosperous  and  artificial 
fate  [i.e.  feat]"  Per.  V.  1.72. 
SPRIGHTS,  the  common  EL. 
contracted  form  of  'spirits' ; 
see  note  to  I.  5. 41.  SF29 
CONFUSION, 'ruin';  seethe 
note  to  II.  3- 7 1.  SF  30  Mac- 
beth does  not  "spurne  fate" 
until  the  end  of  the  play. 
The  interpolator  has  quite 
misconceived  his  relation  to 
the  supernatural  agencies 
which  work  his  ruin.  BEARE 
seems  to  have  been  used  in 
EL.E.  with  a  sense  akin   to 

'exalt,' N.E.D.  19;  cp.  the  citation  from  Knowles,  "the  Spaniards  bearing  themselves  upon 
their  wealth."  But  the  N.  E.  D.  gives  the  word  only  in  a  reflexive  usage  in  this  sense.  Per- 
haps, however,  HOPES  has  its  EL.  meaning  of  'confidence,'  as  in  1.7.35,  and  BEARE  its 
common  sense  of  'maintain,'  with  'BOVE  relating  to  Macbeth  and  meaning  'superior  to.' 
*TF  3 1  GRACE, 'favour.'  FEARE  rhymes  with  "beare,"  cp.  note  to  1. 1.6.  SF  32  SECURITY 
in  Shakspere's  time  had  a  shade  of  meaning  now  commonly  expressed  by  '  confidence,'  cp. 
"security  gives  way  to  [i.e.  gives  free  rein  to]  conspiracie"  Cass. II. 3-8.  *1F33  CHEEF- 
EST  in  EL.  E.  connoted  an  aspect  of  superiority  now  usually  denoted  by  '  greatest '  or  '  best ' 
or  '  most  important,'  e.g.  "Within  their  chiefest  temple  "  I  Hen.6  II. 2. 12, "  the  king's  chiefest 
friend"  3Hen. 6  IV. 3.  II,  "nephew  to  your  chiefest  enemy"  Middleton's  A  Trick  to  Catch 
an  Old  One,  IV. 2.  The  first  stage  direction  calls  for  music  to  accompany  Hecate's 
exit :  in  Middleton's  play  witches  are  spoken  of  as  flying  overhead  "with  a  noise  of  musi- 
cians." The  "Come  away"  song  is  intended  to  accompany  the  exeunt  of  the  other 
witches,  closing  the  scene.  Modern  editors  run  both  together  into  one  stage  direction 
which  they  place  after  v.33-  *1F  34  MY  LITTLE  SPIRIT:  Ben  Jonson  explains  this  ref- 
erence in  a  note  to  his  Masque  of  Queenes :  "Their  little  martin  is  he  that  calls  them  to 
their  conventicles,  which  is  done  in  a  humane  voice  ;  .  .  their  little  martens  or  martinets,  of 
whom  I  have  mentioned  before,  use  this  forme  in  dismissing  their  conventions,  Bja  faces- 
site  propere  hinc  omnes"  i.e.  "Come  away,  come  away,"  etc.  This  notion  may  be  vaguely 
involved  in  the  "  Padock  calls  anon"  of  1. 1.  The  song  referred  to  in  the  stage  direction 
is  found  in  Middleton's  Witch  in  the  form  : 

136 


26-36 

And  that,  distill'd  by  magicke  slights, 
Shall  raise  such  artificiall  sprights 
As  by  the  strength  of  their  illusion 
Shall  draw  him  on  to  his  confusion. 
He  shall  spurne  fate,  scorne  death,  and  beare 
His  hopes  ?bove  wisedome,  grace,  and  feare: 
And  you  all  know  security 
Is  mortals'  cheefest  enemie. 

MUSICKE   AND   A   SONG 

Hearke!  I  am  call'd;  my  little  spirit,  see, 
Sits  in  a  foggy  cloud,  and  stayes  for  me. 

SING   WITHIN:    "COME   AWAY  COME   AWAY  "  &C 

FIRST   WITCH 
Come,  let's    make   hast;    shee '1   soone    be 
backe  againe. 

EXEUNTf 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

(Song  above.)  (Voice  above.) 

Come  away,  come  away,  There's  one  comes  down  to  fetch  his  dues, 

Hecate,  Hecate,  come  away!  A  kiss,  a  coll,  a  sip  of  blood, 

Hec.   I  come,  1  come,  I  come,  I  come,  And  why  thou  stay'st  so  long 

With  all  the  speed  I  may,  I  muse,  I  muse, 

With  all  the  speed  I  may.  Since  the  air's  so  sweet  and  good. 

Where's  Stadlin?  Hec.  O,  art  thou  come? 

(Voice  above.)     Here.  What  news,  what  news? 

Hec.  Where's  Puckle?  Spirit.  All  goes  still  to  our  delight; 

(Voice  above.)     Here ;  Either  come,  or  else 

And  Hoppo  too,  and  Hellwain  too;  Refuse,  refuse. 

We  lack  but  you,  we  lack  but  you ;  Hec.   Now  I  'm  furnished  for  the  flight. 

Come  away,  make  up  the  count. 
Hec.  I  will  but  'noint,  and  then  I  mount. 


Hec.  (going  up).     Now  I  go,  now  I  fly, 

Malkin  my  sweet  spirit  and  I. 

O  what  a  dainty  pleasure  'tis 

To  ride  in  the  air 

When  the  moon  shines  fair, 

And  sing  and  dance  and  toy  and  kiss ! 

Over  woods,  high  rocks,  and  mountains, 

Over  seas,  our  mistress'  fountains, 

Over  steep  towers  and  turrets, 

We  fly  by  night,  'mongst  troops  of  spirits : 

No  ring  of  bells  to  our  ears  sounds, 

No  howl  of  wolves,  no  yelps  of  hounds; 

No,  not  the  noise  of  water's  breach, 

Or  cannon's  throat  our  height  can  reach. 
(Voices  above.)     No  ring  of  bells,  etc. 

(Cited  from  Dyce's  modernized  copy  of  the  MS.  discovered  by  Steevens  in  1778.)  It  is 
probable  that  all  this  is  meant  by  the  "  Song"  given  in  the  stage  direction  of  the  FO.,  though 
the  words  "Come  away"  occur  only  in  the  first  stanza;  for  Davenant  includes  the 
three  stanzas  in  his  Macbeth,  slightly  altering  the  form  of  expression  here  and  there. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  VI 

The  action  and  thought  of  this  scene,  as  Davenant  noticed  in  his  revision  of  the  play, 
immediately  follow  those  of  Scene  IV.  Davenant  therefore  placed  it  before  Scene  V, 
closing  the  act  with  the  Witch  Dance  and  Song.  This  arrangement  is  far  better  than 
that  of  the  textus  receptus,  because  the  recalcitrancy  of  Macduff,  which  arouses  a^ain 
Macbeth's  murderous  thoughts  in  Scene  IV,  demands  an  immediate  explanation  such  as 
is  given  in  this  scene.  The  scene  is  really  a  chorus  closing  Act  III,  and  serves  the  pur- 
pose of  a  narrative  like  the  scene  which  closes  Act  II ;  and  in  its  chorus  aspect  it  describes 
to  the  audience  the  action  which  is  to  follow,  and  forecasts  the  probable  consequences, 
outstripping  thus  the  dramatic  development  of  the  play  and  putting  the  audience  in  pos- 
session of  information  of  Macduff's  flight  that  Macbeth  does  not  get  until  later. 

The  modern  conventional  scene  direction,  "The  Palace,"  is  probably  correct,  though 
it  is  of  little  moment  where  the  scene  takes  place.    The  imagination  of  Elizabethan  theatre- 

137 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

goers  was  used  to  supplying  proper  scene  settings  for  the  dramatic  action  represented 
before  them.  It  is  likewise  a  matter  of  little  moment  who  is  meant  by  "Another  Lord," 
which  Johnson  proposed  to  alter  to  'Angus,'  and  Dyce,  on  the  authority  of  a  MS.  entry 
in  his  copy  of  FO.  1,  to  '  Rosse.'  The  scene  subserves  the  purpose  of  furnishing  general 
information,  and  is  not  strictly  a  dramatic  representation. 


SCENE  VI:  FORRES:  THE  PALACE 
ENTER  LENOX  AND  ANOTHER  LORD 


LENOX  '-10 

Y  former  speeches  have  but  hit 

your  thoughts, 
Which    can     interpret     farther: 

onely  I  say 
Things  have  bin  strangely  borne. 
The  gracious  Duncan 
Was    pittied   of   Macbeth :    marry,   he    was 

dead: 
And  the   right  valiant    Banquo    walk'd    too 

late; 
Whom  you  may  say,  if  rt  please  you,  Fleans 

kill'd, 
For  Fleans  fled:  men  must  not  walke  too 

late. 
Who   cannot    want   the  thought,  how  mon- 
strous 
It  was  for  Malcolme  and  for  Donalbane 
To  kill  their  gracious  father?   damned  fact! 


SF  I  SPEECHES,'statements,' 
here  'expressions  of  suspi- 
cion,' cp.  note  to  III.  1.76. 
HIT,  'fallen  in  with,'  cp.  "  [I] 
sought  with  deedes  thy  will  to 
hit"  Sidney,  Ps.  XL,  as  cited 
in  N.E.D.  15.  THOUGHTS 
has  its  M.  E.and  e.N.  E.  mean- 
ing, 'anxieties.'  Lenox  has 
only  voiced  the  anxiety  and 
alarm  of  the  other  lords.  SF  2 
WHICH  is  probably  the  con- 
nective relative,  'but  you  can 
put  them  in  words  for  your- 
selves.' For  INTERPRET  in 
this  sense  of  'say  explicitly,' 
see  note  to  1.3-46.  Lenox 
has  not  dared  to  refer  to  the 
matter  save  in  general  terms, 
,for  specific  reference  would 
be  treason,  and  treason  is  dan- 
gerous when  Macbeth's  spjes 

may  be  lurking  in  any  corner. 
ONELY  I  SAY,  'I  merely  re- 
mark,' cp.  note  to  III. 4. 98. 
SF  3  BORNE:  v.  17  shows 
that  "borne"  has  here  the  sense  of  'managed,'  as  perhaps  also  in  1.7. 17.  A  passage  in 
Ado  II.3.229  shows  the  word  in  the  same  sense,  "the  conference  was  sadly  borne,"  i.e. 
was  carried  on  seriously.  Baret's  Alvearie  gives  "also  to  do,  to  execute"  as  a  synonym 
of  'beare,'  but  possibly  Baret  is  thinking  of  Latin  gero  rather  than  of  English  'bear.'  The 
reflexive  idiom  'to  bear  one's  self,'  i.e.  to  behave,  implies  this  'wield'  or  'manage'  meaning 
in  the  simple  verb.  We  are  therefore  justified  in  assuming  'wield,'  'manage,'  'conduct' 
as  a  transitive  meaning  of  "beare,"  even  if  such  a  sense  is  not  given  in  N.E.  D.,  and  that 
Lenox  means  'things  have  been  curiously  managed.'  *1F 4  OF,  'by,'  a  common  e. N.E. 
meaning  of  the  preposition.  MARRY,  originally  a  form  of  adjuration,  'Mary,'  with  the 
vowel  shortened  through  lack  of  stress.  But  in  EL.  E.  it  was  used  merely  as  an  exclama- 
tion with  various  applications, — here,  'to  be  sure,'  ironically  spoken;  i.e.  'to  be  sure,  he 
did  not  express  his  pity  for  Duncan  until  after  his  murder,'  the  allusion  being  to  that  over- 
wrought utterance  of  Macbeth's  about  "silver  skin"  and  "golden  blood."      ^  7    WALKE 

138 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

has  its  EL.  sense  of  'be  abroad/  still  preserved  in  MN.E.  'ghosts  walk.'  The  rhythm 
of  vv.6  and  7,  with  its  turns  and  twists, is  full  of  irony :  '"  x  ""  "  \\ '  x  '  ||  *  '  *  '  || '  "  *  ""||. 
SF 8  WANT  is  usually  explained  as  being  here  tantamount  to  a  negative  verb, 'not  to 
have,' and  as  such  involved  in  the  double-negative  idiom  common  in  M.E.  and  e.  N.  E. 
Similar  syntax  has  been  cited  by  Delius :  "That  any  of  these  bolder  vices  wanted  Lesse 
impudence"  Wint.T.  III. 2. 56,  and  "be  it  but  to  fortifie  her  judgement  .  .  for  taking  a 
beggar  without  lesse  quality"  Cym.I.4.2I,  where  "lesse"  is  tantamount  to  a  negative, 
and  "wanted  lesse"  corresponds  to  MN.E. 'lacked  more,' and  "without  lesse"  to  MN.E. 
'not  having  more.'  But  these  are  not  quite  parallel  cases,  and  nowhere  else  (so  far  as 
has  been  noted)  does  Shakspere  say  anything  like  "Who  cannot  want"  when  he  means 
'Who  can  fail  to  have.'  It  is  possible,  however,  that  the  interrogation-point  after  FATHER 
is  the  EL.  printer's  exclamation-point,  denoting  the  irony  in  Lenox's  words,  and  that 
WHO  is  the  EL.  connective  relative  separated  from  its  antecedent  as  it  was  in  1. 2. 2 1,  and 
connected  with  it  only  by  the  sentence  stress  which  the  speaker  gave  it:  'You  may  say 
Fleance  killed  him,  for  Fleance  fled  —  men  must  not  walk  too  late!  —  since  you,  of  course, 
cannot  have  escaped  the  reflection  how,'  etc.  It  is  also  possible  that  "Men  must  not 
walke  too  late"  has  fallen  out  of  place  and  should  immediately  follow  "  Banquo  walk'd 
too  late" :  if  we  may  go  so  far  as  to  assume  such  a  displacement  the  sense  of  vv.  6  and  7 
becomes  perfectly  clear.  Of  the  emendations  —  'You  cannot  want'  Hanmer,  'Who  can 
want'  or  'Who  cannot  have' Jennens,  'We  cannot  want'  Keightley, '  Who  can  now  want' 
Cartwright — the  last  gives  apt  stress,  Who  can  now  want,  and  good  sense:  'As  Fleance 
killed  Banquo  because  Fleance  fled,  every  one  must  now  conclude  that  Malcolm  and 
Donalbaine  killed  their  father  because  they  fled' ;  and  it  involves  only  a  printer's  error  of 
misreading  vo  as  r  in  his  copy.  MONSTROUS  has  two  trisyllabic  forms  in  EL.  E.,  one 
through  the  extra  syllable  caused  by  r  (see  note  to  1.5-40)  and  the  other  due  to  analogy 
with  the  Latin  monstruum,  viz.  "monstruous" ;  cp.  "Her  fault  so  vile  and  monsterous 
before"  Drayton's  Heroicall  Epistles,  ed.  Sp.  Soc,  p.  196,  and  "So  filthy  and  so  mon- 
struous that  sure  I  think  no  age"  Newton's  Thebais,  ed.  Sp.  Soc,  p.  5 1.     SF  10   DAMNED, 

'damnable'  or  'damning,'  an- 

ACT  III  SCENE  VI  "-I6    ftfr*"; 

tt  •        1.  1  <>        1        ,    ,      r^.  1     1  N.E.D.  3and  V.  1.39.    FACT, 

How   it   did  greeve    Macbeth!    Did   he   not      'crime':  the  word  was  com- 

Straidht  monly  used  in  the  sixteenth 

t  ,       .1  j    1-  century  in  this  sense,  and  is 

In  pious  rage,  the  two  delinquents  teare,  stiU    /etained   in   th'e    legal 

That  were  the  slaves  of  drinke  and  thralles      phrase  ' before  the  fact.' 
of  sleeDe' 

,Y,  r     *  111  -s   1  1.1  <&12     DELINQUENTS:     the 

Was  not  that  nobly  done.''  I,  and  wisely  too;      wora  js  somewhat  stronger 
For  'twould  have  antfer'd  any  heart  alive         in  el.  E.  than  now,  and  stands 

Ti  .1  1  1.  for   'criminals':    cp.  "delin- 

o  heare  the  men  deny  t.  „„»„♦   «   „„-«,i,Li»  ri~  .~ 

J  quent,  a    criminal      (jlosso- 

graphia.  TEARE  in  EL.E. 
has  a  range  of  meaning  which  includes  laniare,  cp.  "laniatus,  rent :  torne :  cut  in  peeces" 
Cooper,  and  "All  his  body  is  rent  or  torne,  laceratus  est  toto  corpore"  Baret's  Alvearie. 
In  this  sense  it  is  often  equivalent  to  MN.E.  'mangle,'  cp.  Cotgrave,  " deschirer,  to  teare, 
dismember,  mangle,"  and  "teare  him  for  his  bad  verses"  Caes.  III.  3-34,  and  "inforced 
hate  .  .  shall  rudelie  teare  thee"  Lucr. 669.  The  word  is  therefore  aptly  used  here  to  por- 
tray the  fury  with  which  Macbeth,  in  Lenox's  presence,  gashed  the  sleeping  grooms,  and 
gives  no  ground  for  supposing  that  Shakspere  did  not  write  the  passage,  as  CI.  Pr.  ar- 
gues from  what  its  editors,  construing  the  word  in  its  MN.  sense,  consider  inapt  verbiage. 
SF 15    HEART  ALIVE:  "of  the  world"  and  "alive"  (which  is  tantamount  to  the  same  no- 

139 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

tion,  for  it  represents  M.E.  "on-live,"  'in  life')  are  frequently  used  in  M.E.  and  e. N.E.  as 

intensifying  phrases  with  no  definite  meaning.  In  the  American  '  sakes  alive  ! '  and  the  col- 
loquial '  man  alive  ! '  the  idiom 

is  still   preserved.      Lenox's       ACTm  SCENE    VI                       16-24 

words  are  tantamount  to   any  ■ 

heart,'  with  strong  accent  on  c        i_         T 

'any.'      SF  16     DENY 'T,    cp.  ^°  that   1    say 

note  to  1.2.7.  He  has  borne  all  things  well :  and  I  do  thinke 

octtt    itcu.cd/^dmu  at  t       That   had    he    Duncan's    sonnes   under  his 

tFI7   in  HE  HASBORNE  ALL 

THINGS    WELL    the    slight  key 

verse  stress  on  "has"— 'yes,      ^s   ancj  >t  please  heaven,  he  shall  not  —  they 

he   has   managed   everything  u        i  J   r •     J 

well'— adds  to  Lenox's  irony.  Should  linde 

The  stresses  of  this  passage  What   'twere   to    kill   a  father:     so   should 

are  so  apt,  and  so  clearly  re-  Fleans 

fleet  the  bitter  irony  of  one 

who   will    not  express    his      But,  peace !  for  from  broad  words,  and  cause 

thought    frankly,   that    it    is  J^e  favl'd 

perhaps  worth  while  to  note       TT.  ^  ,  ,      -  T   , 

them:  "I,  and  wisely  too;      His  presence  at  the  tyrant  s  feast,  1  heare, 
For  'twould   have  anger'd      Macduffe  lives  in  disgrace.    Sir,  can  you  tell 
any  heart  alive  To  heare  the       Where  he  bestowes  himselfe? 
men  deny   t     ,   then,  turning 
the  thought  with  a  reversal: 

"  So  that  I  say,  He  has  borne  all  things  well :  and  I  do  thinke  That  had  he  Duncan's  sonnes 
under  his  key — As,  and 't  please  heaven,  he  shall  not  —  they  should  finde  What 't  were  to 
kill  a  father."  SF  1 8  UNDER  HIS  KEY, 'in  his  power,' i.e.  as  he  had  Duncan.  SF  19  AND 
is  a  M.  E.  and  e.  N.  E.  use  of  the  conjunction  in  the  sense  of  '  if,'  '  provided  that.'  "  And  it " 
was  frequently  contracted  in  EL.  E.  to  "an't"  in  lightly  stressed  phrases  like"  an 't  please 
you,"  etc.  From  this  a  fictitious  word,  'an,'  meaning  'if,'  has  been  created,  and  this  non- 
existent word  has  been  put  into  Shakspere  wherever  "and"  occurs  in  the  sense  of 'if ' ;  see 
N.  E.  D.  s.v.  ^  20  WERE,  the  subjunctive  of  unfulfilled  condition,  common  in  e.  N.  E.  and 
still  in  use.  SF  21  Lenox  passes  from  these  thoughts  with  the  reflection  that  it  was  Mac- 
duff's frank  speech  that  got  him  into  trouble.  BROAD  WORDS,  'frank  speech.'  In  the 
MN.  E.  'broad  jest'  'broad'  is  similarly  used  but  restricted  to  the  meaning  'vulgarly  frank' ; 
in  'broad  hint'  the  EL.  meaning  survives  in  its  original  force.  CAUSE  is  not  'because' 
clipped  for  the  sake  of  rhythm,  but  a  e.  N.  E.  idiom  common  in  prose  as  well  as  poetry,  and 
still  preserved  in  the  dialectic  'cause  why'  and  the  'cause'  of  vulgar  English.  FAYLE,  thus 
used  in  the  sense  of  'deny,' 'refuse,' 'withhold  from,' with  a  direct  object,  has  not  yet  been 
found  elsewhere  in  EL.  E.  nor  recorded  in  N.  E.  D.  A  similar  usage  occurs  in  "  I  will  never 
faile  Beginning  nor  supplyment  [i.e.  support]  "  Cym.  III. 4. 181.  SF  22  TYRANT, 'usurper,' 
cp.  "To  prove  him  tyrant  this  reason  may  suffice,  that  Henry  liveth  still"  3 Hen. 6  III.  3-  71. 
His  using  the  word  with  this  sense  argues  nothing  as  to  Shakspere's  knowledge  or  ignor- 
ance of  Greek,  for  'usurper'  is  a  recognized  e.  N.E.  meaning  of  the  word,  cp.  "tyrant,  a 
cruel  governour  or  usurper"  Glossographia,  and  "tyrant,  one  that  has  usurped  the  sover- 
eign power  in  a  state,"  "tyranny,  cruel  and  violent  empire  or  dominion  unlawfully 
usurped"  Kersey's  Dictionarium.  The  word  had  this  meaning  of  'usurper'  even  in  M.E., 
cp.  Piers  Plowman,  III.2II,"go  atack  tho  [i.e.  those]  tyrauns,"  i.e.  Falsehood  and  Flat- 
tery. As  in  so  many  other  instances,  Shakspere's  apparent  knowledge  of  the  classics 
turns  out  to  be  only  a  wide  familiarity  with  English.  Lenox  has  now  thrown  off  his  mask 
of  irony  and  boldly  calls  Macbeth  a  usurper.  SF  24  BESTOWES  HIMSELFE,  'lodges,' 
a  reflexive  meaning  of  "bestow"  common  in  e.  N.E.,  cp.  III.  1.30. 

140 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SF  24  SONNE  is  "sonnes"  in  FO.  I,  which  seems  to  be  a  misprint.  In  FOS.  I,  2,  and  3 
"lives"  was  altered  to  "live"  in  v.  26  and  "is"  allowed  to  stand.  But  only  Malcolm  fled 
to  England:  Donalbaine  went  to  Ireland.  SF25  HOLDS,  '  withholds/  cp.  "Your  crowne 
and  kingdome  indirectly  held  From  him  the  native  and  true  challenger"  Hen. 5  II. 4. 94. 
DUE  OF  BIRTH,  'birthright':   "due"  has  this  legal  sense  in  EL.E.,  cp.  "The  key  of  this 

infernal  pit  by  due  .  .  I  keep  " 

ACT  III  SCENE  VI 


'Par.  Lost'  11.850  (cited  in 
N.  E.  D.  6).  The  article  is 
equivalent  to  a  MN.E.  pos- 
sessive pronoun.  SF  27  OF, 
'by.'  PIOUS  here  and  HOLY 
KING,  v.  30,  are  due  to  the 
fact  that  Malcolm,  according 
to  Holinshed,fled  to  the  court 
of  Edward  the  Confessor,  cp. 
note  to  IV.  3. 144.  SF  30  UPON 
HIS  AYD,  'with  his  [i.e.  the 
king's]  support,'  the  infinitive 
having  the  sense  of  'that  he 
may.'  U  PON  has  a  wide  range 
of  usage  in  EL.E.  to  express 
various  forms  of  cause,  cp.  "  I 
am  come  hither  .  .  upon  my 
man's  instigation"  2Hen.6  II. 
3-87,  and  "they  Upon  their 
ancient  mallice  will  forget  .  . 
these  his  new  honors"  Cor. 
II.  I.  243-  The  phrase  is 
usually  explained 'in  his  [i.e. 
Malcolm's]  aid,'  but  EL.  syn- 
tax does  not  warrant  this 
construction.  *ff  3 1  WAKE, 
'  rouse,'  is  still  in  poetic  usage 
in  MN.E.  NORTHUMBER- 
LAND, i.e.  the  county,  not  the 
earl,  of  that  name  :  in  Holins- 
hed  Seyward  is  the  Earl  of 
Northumberland.  *ff  35  FREE 
in  Shakspere's  time  meant  'banish,'  cp. "  Free  thine  owne  torment"  Daniel,  and  "Free 
suspicion"  Ford  (cited  in  N.E.D.  4),  and  there  is  therefore  no  ground  for  assuming  a 
transposition  of  notions  as  did  Steevens,  or  for  amending  the  text  with  patches  like  'keep' 
for  "free."  BLOODY  KNIVES  is  probably  a  pregnant  term  for  deeds  of  violence  and 
assassination,  and  is  Shakspere's  way  of  implying  Holinshed's  statement  that  Macbeth 
"committed  manie  horrible  slaughters  and  murders  both  as  well  of  the  nobles  as  commons." 
Delius  thought  it  a  reference  to  the  murderer  in  III.  4.  SF  36  FREE  HONORS,  'guiltless 
honours,'  not  bought  by  treachery.  Hamlet  says,  "Your  majestie,  and  wee  that  have  free 
soules,  it  touches  us  not"  III. 2. 25 1.  The  words  recall  Banquo's  "bosome  franchis'd"  in 
II.  1.28.  SF38  EXASPERATE,  the  EL.  past  participle  without  suffix,  cp.  note  to  III. 4. 143. 
THEIR  KING  of  FO.  I  is  changed  to  'the  king'  in  the  Cambridge  Text  and  in  modern  edi- 
tions,and  taken  to  refer  to  Macbeth.  The  Folio's  "their"  might  easily  be  a  mistake  for  an 
original  "the,"  since  the  definite  article  with  possessive  force  and  the  possessive  adjective 
pronoun,  especially  'the'  and  'their,'  are  constantly  subject  to  interchange  in  EL.  texts: 
often  a  first  edition  will  have  the  former  and  later  editions  the  latter,  showing  that  in  the  early 

141 


24-39 

LORD 

The  sonne  of  Duncane, 
From  whom  this  tyrant  holds  the  due  of  birth, 
Lives  in  the  English  court,  and  is  receyv'd 
Of  the  most  pious  Edward  with  such  grace 
That  the  malevolence  of  fortune  nothing 
Takes  from  his  high  respect.    Thither  Mac- 

duffe 
Is  gone  to  pray  the  holy  king,  upon  his  ayd 
To  wake  Northumberland  and  warlike  Sey- 
ward, 
That  by  the  helpe  of  these,  with  Him  above 
To  ratifie  the  worke,  we  may  againe 
Give  to  our  tables  meate,  sleepe  to  our  nights, 
Free  from  our  feasts  and  banquets  bloody 

knives, 
Do  faithfull  homage  and  receive  free  honors: 
All  which  we  pine  for  now.     And  this  report 
Hath  so  exasperate  their  king  that  hee 
Prepares  for  some  attempt  of  warre. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


part  of  the  1 7th  century  editors  and  printers  felt  at  liberty  to  substitute  the  more  modern  form, 
as  they  felt  at  liberty  to  make  a  singular  verb  plural  when  it  had  a  plural  subject.  But 
neither  "their  king"  nor  'the  king'  can  mean  Macbeth,  for  Macbeth  does  not  yet  know  of 
Macduff's  going  to  England — Lenox  himself  informs  him  of  it  in  IV.  1. 142.  Delius  con- 
strues THIS  REPORT  as  referring  to  Malcolm's  escape  to  England  and  having  nothing  to 
do  with  Macduff  and  the  reprisal  which  Macbeth  will  make  upon  him,  THEIR  KING  imply- 
ing that  the  lord  cannot  accept  Macbeth  as  his  king,  because  he  belongs  to  Malcolm's 
faction;  but  this  explanation  is  not  satisfactory.  THIS  REPORT  is  in  Shakspere  some- 
times tantamount  to  'the  report  of  this,'  e.g.ucMessaIa.  Seeke  him  [i.e.  Pindarus],  Titinius, 
whilst  I  go  to  meet  The  noble  Brutus,  thrusting  this  report  Into  his  eares;  I  may  say 
'thrusting'  it,  For  piercing  Steele  and  darts  invenomed  Shall  be  as  welcome  to  the  eares 
of  Brutus  As  tydings  of  this  sight"  Cass.  V. 3- 73-  Here  there  has  been  no  'report'; 
Titinius  and  Messala  have  themselves  found  Cassius's  dead  body.  So  likewise  in  John  IV. 
2.260,  "Doth  Arthur  live?  O  hast  thee  to  the  peeres,  Throw  this  report  [i.e.  the  statement 
of  this  fact]  on  their  incensed  rage."  We  have  already  noticed  (cp.  note  to  1.5.3)  that 
"  report "  in  EL.  E.  was  not  so  strictly  limited  as  it  is  in  MN.  E. :  that  it  could  mean  '  state- 
ments,' 'rumour,'  or  'reputation' ;  the  apparent  objective  use  of  "this  report  "is  a  natural 
consequence  of  such  a  range  of  meaning,  the  "this"  referring,  not  to  the  statement  itself, 
but  to  the  conditions  which  the  statement  represented  to  the  mind.  If  we  may  assume 
this  syntax  here,  the  lord  simply  says  'The  King  of  England,  having  been  told  of  these 
conditions  which  we  live  under,  is  preparing  for^a-rr^invasion'  (cp>  note  on  "  attempt  of 
warre"  below).  Lenox  and  the  lord  are  traitors,  and  that  the  latter  has  been  in  secret 
communication  with  England  since  Malcolm's  flight  ten  years  before  is  not  inconsistent 
with  Macbeth's  real  and  Lenox's  assumed  ignorance  in  IV.  1. 142.  What  the  lord  informs 
Lenox  of  is  that  the  "English  powre,"  referred  to  in  V.2. 1,  is  already  'being  mustered.' 
In  IV.  3.43  Malcolm,  on  Macduff's  arrival,  tells  him  that  he  has  an  offer  from  the  King  of 
England  of  "goodly  thousands,"  and  that  even  before  his  coming  Old  Seyward  was  on 
the  point  of  setting  out  for  Scotland  with  ten  thousand  men.  This  scene  presents  to  the 
audience  a  condition  of  things  that  Macbeth  is  unaware  of,  viz.  that  Malcolm  has  been 
doing  something  more  than  telling  lies  during  his  residence  in  England.  There  is  nothing 
inconsistent  in  it ;  on  the  contrary,  it  helps  to  keep  before  the  mind,  as  a  single  picture,  a 
long  and  complex  series  of  events  covering  a  wide  range  of  time  and  space.  It  is  thus 
that  Shakspere  gives  to  history  the  marvellous  unity  of  art,  as  it  were  focusing  its  vary- 
ing aspects  into  one  single  burning-point  of  human  interest.  SF  39  ATTEMPT  means 
'attack'  in    EL.E.,  cp.  "No 


ACT  III 


SCENE  VI 


39-43 


man  can  charge  us  of  any  at- 
tempt against  the  realm"(cita- 
tion  dated  1584  in  N.E.  D.  3), 
and  "to  attempt,  or  try  to 
make  war  upon,  attentare 
aliquem  fee//o"  Phr.  Gen. 

SF 39  SENT  HE:  the  pronoun 
is  significant ;  Lenox  brings 
the  talk  back  to  Macbeth  with 
an  inquiry  as  to  why  Macduff 
fled.  He  knows  only  that  he 
was  in  disgrace  for  not  at- 
tending the  banquet  and  for 
unguarded  language  :  why  did 
he  fly?  Did  Macbeth  send  for  Macduff  to  come  to  him?  For  SENT  in  this  sense,  cp. 
note  to  III.  4. 129.  It  is  implied  here  that  Macbeth  has  sent  for  Macduff  to  come  to  court 
and  explain  his  absence,  as  he  said  he  would  do  in  III.  4. 130.    IF  40  ABSOLUTE,  'positive,' 

142 


LENOX 

Sent  he  to  Macduffe? 
LORD 
He  did:    and  with  an  absolute  'Sir,  not  1/ 
The  clowdy  messenger  turnes  me  his  backe, 
And  hums,  as  who  should  say  'You  '1  rue  the 

time 
That  clones  me  with  this  answer.' 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

cp.  "  Be  absolute  for  death"  Meas.  III.  I.  5  (N.E.D.  II).  *ff4I  CLOWDY,  used  of  persons 
in  EL.  E.  with  the  sense  'gloomy/  'sullen/  see  N.E.D.  I  b.  TURNES  ME  is  an  instance 
of  the  EL.  E.  so-called  ethical  dative.  It  is  frequent  in  Shakspere  and  quite  untranslatable 
in  MN.  terms.  As  here,  it  expresses  the  speaker's  personal  interest  in  what  he  is  saying 
— the  narrator  of  the  story  enjoys  the  situation.  SF42  HUMS  is  still  used  in  the  phrase 
'to  hum  and  haw/  to  express  embarrassment  or  hesitation,  cp.  N.E.D.  2c;  but  in  M.E. 
and  e.  N.  E.  it  may  stand  independently,  cp.  "  Al  rosy  hewed  tho  waxe  she  And  gan  to  hum  " 
Chaucer's  Troilus,  II.  1 150,  and  "hum  and  stroke  thy  beard"  Tro.&Cr.  1.3. 1 65  (cited  from 

N.E.D.).    AS  WHO  SHOULD 

ACT  III  SCENE  VI  43-49     f^^^flnT^h 

"as"  has  its  e.  N.  E.  meaning 

LENOX  of  <as  jf/  and  the  relative  is 

And  that  well  might       used    in    its    M.E.   indefinite 

mi.        i.  ..         tfi      ij       i      .    i.    ,  sense   of  'some  one.'      SF  43 

Advise  him  to  a  caution,  t  hold  what  distance  CLOG  is  originally  a  <biock 
His  wisedome  can  provide.  Some  holy  angell  attached  to  the  leg  or  neck  of 
Five  to  the  court  of  England  and  unfold  \man  to  ™?z**  m°tionf; 

J  °  .  .  this  association  gives  the  verb 

His  message  ere  he  come,  that  a  swift  blessing  its  meaning  of 'hamper," em- 
May   soone    returne    to    this    our    suffering     ban-ass.'    The  word  reflects 

the    messenger's    dread     of 
Country  Macbeth's  temper. 

Under  a  hand  accurs'd! 

SF44    For  ADVISE  .  .  TO  in 

LORD  tne  sense  of  'recommending 

t  n  i  -xi     1   •  a  course  of  action/  see  N.E.D. 

I   le  send  my  prayers  with  him.      9b>  caution, 'precaution/ 

EXEUNT       N.E.D.  5;    the   indefinite  ar- 
ticle  is    used  as    in    1. 7. 68. 
T' HOLD,  'in  preserving/  illustrating  the  EL.  usage  of  the  infinitive,  corresponding  to  a 
MN.E.  participial  phrase.    ^49  Phrases  modifying  participles  used  adjectively  are  often 
separated  from  their  participles,  as  here.     A  similar  arrangement  occurs  in  II. 3. 138. 


Acts  I  and  II  had  a  single  theme,  the  murder  of  Duncan,  and  apparent  success  crowned 
the  wicked  work;  the  'consequence'  for  the  time  was  trammelled  up,  and  Macbeth  had 
gone  to  Scone  to  be  invested.  As  Banquo  says  in  the  opening  verses  of  Act  III,  he  has 
it  now,  king,  Cawdor,  Glamis,  all,  as  the  weird  women  promised.  The  third  act  of  the 
drama  opens  with  a  fresh  theme,  the  murder  of  Banquo.  Though  so  rapidly  brought  to  its 
execution, — the  faulty  purpose  almost  cheek  by  jowl  with  the  deed, — the  new  theme  can  be 
traced  through  the  same  course  as  the  old.  In  the  opening  verses  the  unsuspicious  per- 
sonality of  Banquo  is  presented,  as  was  Duncan's  in  the  early  part  of  the  play ;  and,  like 
Duncan  as  a  guest  in  Macbeth's  house,  he  is  in  Macbeth's  power  (vv.  1-44).  The '  thought,' 
already  full  formed  in  Macbeth's  mind,  is  clearly  represented  in  detail  in  the  soliloquy  of 
w.49-71,  recalling  the  soliloquy  of  1.7.28  ff . ;  the  'instrument'  for  its  execution,  already 
provided  in  the  maliciousness  of  the  two  disgruntled  soldiers,  is  represented  to  the  audience 
in  the  succeeding  dialogue,  vv.  72-142.  In  Scene  II  Macbeth  shares  this  new  'thought' 
with  Lady  Macbeth,  but  this  time  vaguely  and  darkly.  The  reason  for  this  is  not  far  to 
seek.  If  we  turn  to  the  wonderful  sleep-walking  scene,  where  Lady  Macbeth  presents  in 
broken  mutterings  a  miniature  of  the  mental  aspects  of  the  tragedy  as  they  concern  her 

143 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

and  her  husband,  we  shall  see  her  not  only  repeating  the  horror  of  Duncan's  murder,  for 
which  she  is  directly  responsible,  but  haunted  by  visions  of  Banquo  and  Lady  Macduff 
as  well.  They  all  blend  together  in  one  awful  scene  that  she  cannot  banish  from  her 
mind.  Shakspere  intends,  therefore,  to  put  before  us  a  double  tragedy,  its  two  parts  in- 
terwoven inextricably,  its  two  actors  suffering  each  the  penalty  for  the  acts  of  the  other. 
The  execution  of  the  'thought'  is  the  subject  of  Scene  III.  The  new  murder  links  it- 
self with  the  old.  But  the  removal  of  Banquo,  instead  of  securing  for  Macbeth  'peace' 
from  the  'restless  extasy'  caused  by  Duncan's  murder,  adds  fresh  horror  to  it;  and  the 
second  deed  of  dreadful  note  not  only  brings  its  own  immediate  retribution  but  precipitates 
the  retribution  for  the  first.  The  psychological  'consequences'  of  the  two  are  marvellously 
interwoven,  for  in  Scene  IV  Duncan's  ghost  as  well  as  Banquo's  haunts  Macbeth.  Whether 
the  former  actually  appears  to  him  or  not  is  of  little  consequence:  the  "send  those  that 
we  bury  backe"  clearly  shows  that  the  murdered  Duncan  as  well  as  the  "blood-boltred" 
Banquo  is  present  to  his  mind.  Not  only  is  peace  unattainable  now,  but  from  Scene  IV  on 
it  is  a  fight  for  life  itself.  Banquo,  the  menace  to  peace,  is  removed  only  to  give  place  to  a 
menace  from  another  quarter — Macduff.  And  this  new  situation  is  harder  to  deal  with 
than  the  old,  for  Macduff  will  not  put  himself  in  the  tyrant's  power  ;  he  holds  his  distance. 
Act  III  thus  not  only  reveals  the  Nemesis  in  its  subjective  aspect  in  Macbeth's  insanity, 
but  prepares  the  way  for  his  final  overthrow  in  the  'raising  of  rebellion's  head'  by  Mac- 
duff and  Malcolm.  The  new  Macduff  motif  thus  begins  to  develop  in  the  end  of  Scene  IV, 
and  Scene  VI  as  a  chorus  forecasts  the  course  of  this  new  consequence,  which  will  be  the 
theme  of  Act  IV. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  I  OF  ACT  IV 

The  witch  scene  which  opens  Act  IV  is  quite  different  from  that  of  Act  III,  both  in  its  style 
and  in  its  matter,  replete  as  it  is  with  popular,  not  classic,  notions  of  witchcraft.  It  returns 
to  the  four- wave  rhythm  found  in  Scene  III  of  Act  I  save  for  a  few  obvious  patches  that  are 
written  in  the  verse  form  of  Scene  V  of  Act  III. 

Shakspere  found  his  material  in  Holinshed,  who  says  that  Macbeth  "had  learned  of 
certaine  wizzards  in  whose  words  he  put  great  confidence  (for  that  the  prophesie  had  hap- 
pened so  right  which  the  three  fairies  or  weird-sisters  had  declared  unto  him)  how  that  he 
ought  to  take  heed  of  Makduffe,  who  in  time  to  come  should  seeke  to  destroie  him.  And 
surelie  hereupon  had  he  put  Makduffe  to  death  but  that  a  certaine  witch  whom  hee  had  in 
great  trust  had  told  him  that  he  should  never  be  slaine  with  man  borne  of  anie  woman,  nor 
vanquished  till  the  wood  of  Bernane  came  to  the  castle  of  Dunsinane."  Shakspere  works 
these  together  and  unites  them  with  the  prediction  of  I.  3- 67. 

The  place  of  the  scene  was  marked  by  Rowe  as  'a  dark  cave' ;  the  modern  scene  di- 
rection is  'a  cavern,'  which  is  consistent  with  III. 5- 15-  But  what  is  Lenox's  relation  to 
the  action?  "Come  in  without  there"  indicates  that  Macbeth  is  in  some  enclosed  space, 
and  this  must  be  outside  the  castle,  for  messengers  on  the  way  to  the  king  are  spoken  of 
as  'coming  by.'  But  Lenox  can  scarcely  have  gone  with  Macbeth  to  a  cavern  known  to 
be  haunted  by  witches,  that  the  king  may  consult  the  powers  of  darkness  while  he  stands 
sentinel  at  the  rendezvous,  else  he  would  have  shown  some  interest  in  the  result  of  the  in- 
terview ;  moreover,  in  v.  49  Macbeth's  meeting  with  the  witches  seems  to  be  more  or  less 
fortuitous,  and  not  by  appointment.  That  Lenox,  like  Banquo,  has  been  walking  with 
Macbeth  near  the  castle  and  has  left  him  momentarily  to  see  who  it  is  that  is  riding  by  is 
not  sufficiently  clear  from  the  dialogue  or  from  the  action.  But  perhaps  an  Elizabethan 
audience  would  understand  some  such  situation  and  would  not  be  too  curious  in  localizing 
the  scene.  In  default  of  a  better  scene  direction  we  shall  have  to  retain  Rowe's  in  its 
modern  form,  'a  cavern,'  and  assume  that  Lenox  is  waiting  outside. 

144 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


THE    FOURTH    ACT 


SCENE    I:    A    CAVERN:    IN    THE   MIDDLE    A   BOILING    CAULDRON 
THUNDER:    ENTER   THE    THREE   WITCHES 

FIRST  WITCH 
HRICE  the  brinded  cat  hath  mew'd. 
SECOND   WITCH.    Thrice   and   once  the  hedge- 

pigge  whin'd. 
THIRD  WITCH.  H  arpier  cries/  T  is  time,  Tt  is  time.' 
FIRST  WITCH.    Round  about  the  caldron  go; 
In  the  poyson'd  entrailes  throw. 
Toad,  that  under  cold  stone 
Dayes  and  nights  has  thirty  one 
Sweltred  venom  sleeping  got, 


Boyle  thou  first  if  th'  charmed  pot. 

ALL 
Double,  double,  toile  and  trouble; 
Fire  burne  and  cauldron  bubble. 


*ff  I  BRINDED  is  the  EL.form 
of  'brindled/  see  N.E.D.  s.v. 
The  word  is  now  usually 
applied  to  dogs  and  cattle 
marked  with  streaks,  and  a 
'brindled  cat'  is  called  a 
'tabby  cat.'  SF2  THRICE  AND  ONCE  was  emended  by  Theobald,  on  the  score  of  pro- 
priety, to  'twice  and  once.'  But  Ben  Jonson  is  guilty  of  the  very  impropriety  with  which 
Theobald  charges  Shakspere  in  using  even  numbers  in  witchcraft  ritual:  "And  if  thou 
dost  what  we  would  have  thee  doe  Thou  shalt  have  three,  thou  shalt  have  foure,  Thou 
shalt  have  ten,  thou  shalt  have  a  score"  'Masque  of  Queenes'  p.  171,  and  here  Jonson 
has  put  it  out  of  the  power  of  the  emendator  to  alter  his  text.  Moreover,  "thrice  and 
once"  is  four  in  a  series  of  notation  by  odd  numbers.  The  comma  of  the  FO.  after 
THRICE  seems,  therefore,  to  be  due  to  the  printer's  close  punctuation.  A  similar  phrase, 
"I  have  been  merry  twice  and  once,  ere  now,"  occurring  in  2  Hen. 4  V.  3. 42,  is  not  so  punc- 
tuated; but  just  above  it,  v. 36,  we  have  the  punctuation  "both  short,  and  tall,"  FO.  p.  98. 
HEDGE-PIGGE:  the  association  of  the  hedgehog  with  witchcraft  is  very  old:  a  relic  of 
it  is  preserved  in  MN.  E.  'urchin'  (a  M.E.  and  e.N.E.  word  for  hedgehog),  which,  popu- 
larly used  as  the  designation  of  a  mischief-working  fairy,  was  then  applied  to  a  mischief- 
making  boy.  "  Hedge-pigge"  seems  to  be  a  fanciful  diminutive  of  'hedgehog,'  coined  by 
Shakspere.  SF  3  HARPIER,  like  Middleton's  "Tiffin"  and  Jonson's  "  Rouncie,"  is  a 
fanciful  name  for  an  evil  spirit,  here  conceived  of  as  '  sitting  aloft '  and  directing  the  witches' 
movements  as  did  Padock  and  Graymalkin  in  1. 1.8.  It  is  probably  an  EL.  popular 
form  of 'harpy,' as  "harper "for 'harpy' is  found  in  the  quarto  edition  of  Marlowe's  Tam- 
burlaine,  II.  7,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  these  two  independent  instances  are  printer's  errors. 
"Enter  Ariell  like  a  Harpey"  occurs  as  the  stage  direction  to  Temp.  III. $. 52.  As  usual, 
there  are  no  quotation-marks  in  FO.  I,  but  'TIS   TIME  seems  to  be  the   substance  of 

145 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

Harpier's  cry.  IF  5  Similar  ingredients  make  up  witches'  charms  in  Ben  Jonson's 
Masque  of  Queenes  and  Middleton's  Witch,  Jonson  supplying  a  rich  commentary  from 
classical  demonology  to  illustrate  his  folk-lore.  FO.  I  has  no  point  after  THROW.  SF  6 
In  the  Masque  of  Queenes  'the  toad  that  breeds  under  the  wall'  is  an  ingredient  of  one 
of  the  witch  charms.  Such  rhythms  as  COLD  STONE,  in  which  the  emotional  signifi- 
cance of  a  word  forces  a  slight  pause  after  it  which  makes  the  descending  part  of  the 
rhythm  wave,  are  frequent  in  English  popular  poetry.  "Swifter  then  the  moon's  sphere," 
Mids.III.7,  is  cited  by  Delius  as  another  instance  of  the  intrusion  of  this  popular  rhythm 
into  Shakspere's  four-wave  falling  verse,  but  such  a  verse  as  Jonson's  "Flow  water,  and 
blow  wind"  in  the  Masque  of  Queenes,  p.  1 69,  is  a  much  better  instance.  These  juxta- 
positions of  stressed  impulses  are  a  native  feature  of  English  verse  and  have  never  been 
entirely  banished  from  lyric  measures.  Editors  try  to  emend  them  out  of  Shakspere,  and, 
laying  the  responsibility  for  this  verse  upon  the  omnipeccant  printer,  have  given  us  'under 
the  cold  stone,'  'under  a  cold  stone," under  coldest  stone,'  'under  cold,  cold  stone,'  'under 
cold-e  stone'  (an  English  flexional  monstrosity),  'under  co-uld  stone,'  'underneath  cold 
stone,'  'under  some  cold  stone,'  'under  cursed  stone.'  *TF  7  ONE  in  EL.  E.  had  not  yet 
developed  its  initial  w  with  the  consequent  change  of  o  to  d,  so  the  word  is  here  a  perfect 
rhyme  to  "  stone."  FO.  I  punctuates  with  a  comma  after  NIGHTS  and  a  colon  after  ONE  J 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  in  EL.  printing  a  colon  was  a  lighter  point  than  it  is  now, 
and  frequently  stood  for  a  modern  comma.  SF  8  The  usual  EL.  meaning  of  SWELTER 
is  " colore  suffocare"  (to  stifle  with  heat),  as  it  is  usually  glossed.  "Swelt"  is  associated 
with  fever  in  Spenser's  Faerie  Queene,  I.vii.6,  "the  cheerful  blood  like  a  fever  fit  through 
all  his  body  swelts,"  where  it  is  almost  equivalent  to  'boils.'  Skinner  gives  "swelt"  and 
"swelter"  as  different  forms  of  the  same  word.  The  picture  seems  to  be  that  of  a  toad 
which  has  "pestilent  poyson 

in  her  bowelles"  Lyly's  Eu-        ACT    TV  QfRMR    T  TO      OT 

phues,    ed.    Arber,    p.    327,       Al1      1V  ^niNn    1  12-21 

exuding    this    at    the   mouth 
during  its  sleep.     The  pop-  SECOND  WITCH 

ular  superstition  that  toads      Fillet  of  a  fenny  snake, 

were   venomous   is    also   re-        t       ,  1  11  i_       1  J   l_    1 

flectedinA.Y.L.ii.1.13.  SFio      In  the  cauldron  boyle  and  bake; 
The  fo.'s  comma  after  the      Eye  of  newt  and  toe  of  fro^e, 
second  double  is  removed     Wooll  of  bat  and  tondue  of  dodde, 

by  the  Cambridge   I  ext,  but        .    .  .      ,      „      .  1  1  1.     1  .      , 

the  words  mark  a  caesura  and     Adder  s  forke  and  blinde-wormes  sting, 

are  probably  unrelated  to  the       Lizard's  legge  and  howlet's  wing, 
rest  of  the  sentence,  as  in  the       t?  1  p  c   11   .         11 

£.,«,      ,         uvL*   b,w      ror  a  charme  ot  powretull  trouble, 

child  s   charm       rvmg,    king,  r  11111 

double  king,  Never  trade  back     Like  a  hell-broth  boyle  and  bubble. 

again."      SF  II     FIRE  is  dis- 
syllabic, as   often   in   MN.  E.  ALL 

verse-  Double,  double,  toyle  and  trouble; 

<ffi2  fillet  in  el.e.  was      Fire  burne  and  cauldron  bubble. 

used  to   designate  the  lobes 

of  the  liver,  N.E.  D.  5  c,  and  also  the  lobes  of  the  lung,  cp.  "And  lungs  with  fillets  whole 
unwounded  hung"  May's  Lucan,  VI.  I  (ed.  1635?  sig.  L).  The  word  also  means 'muscle-' 
or  '  nerve-fibre,'  N.  E.  D.  5.  Either  of  these  meanings  fits  better  with  "  Eye  of  newt  and  toe 
of  frogge,"  etc.,  than  does  the  word  in  the  sense  of  'a  rolled  slice,'  as  it  is  usually  inter- 
preted. FENNY,  'fen-inhabiting,'  see  note  to  III.  2. 51,  and  cp.  "  Dragons  fenny  and  living 
in  marishes"  Topsell,  1607  (in  N.E.D.2).  Harrison,  II.  35,  says  "in  our  fennie  countries 
.  .  serpents  are  found  of  greater  quantitie  [i.e.  size]  than  either  our  adder  or  snake." 

146 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SF  1 3  BOYLE  AND  BAKE  are  intransitive  ;  one  of  the  meanings  of  the  latter  word  in  EL.  E. 
is  to  'cake'  or  'coagulate  into  a  sticky  mass/  N.E.D.4.  SF  14  NEWTS,  the  small  rep- 
tiles known  in  America  as  lizards,  were  popularly  believed  to  be  hurtful  in  Shakspere's 
time,  cp.  "Newts  and  blinde  wormes,  do  no  wrong"  Mids.  II.  2. 1 1,  and  frogs  were  thought 
to  be  bred  of  the  slime  of  standing  pools;  see  Phipson,  p.  322.  SF 15  In  the  Masque  of 
Queenes  it  is  the  bat's  wings  that  are  used  for  the  witch's  charm  on  the  authority  of  Corn. 
Agrippa  de  occulta  cPhilosophia1  1. 15,  who  recommends  also  'bat's  blood.'  The  popular 
dread  of  bats  is  still  well  known.  ^  16  FORKE  is  the  EL.  name  for  the  tongue  of  a 
serpent,  cp.  "the  soft  and  tender  forke  Of  a  poore  worme"  Meas.III.  1. 16.  BLINDE- 
WORMES  were  also  reckoned  among  the  popular  reptile  antipathies — "common  annoi- 
ances"  as  Harrison  calls  them — of  Shakspere's  time,  cp.  "  Neverthelesse  we  have  a  blinde 
worme  .  .  which  some  also  do  call  (and  upon  better  ground)  by  the  name  of  slow  wormes 
.  .  and  yet  their  venem  deadlie,"  etc.,  Harrison's  England,  Ill.vii  (cp.  Timon  IV. 3- 182). 
*ffl7  The  LIZARD  is  referred  to  as  venomous  in  2Hen.6  III. 2. 325,  "Their  softest  touch 
as  smart  as  lyzard's  stings."  The  word  was  loosely  applied  in  EL. E.  as  in  MN.E.  to 
designate  any  lizard-like  reptile  from  the  newt  to  the  crocodile.  HOWLET  is  a  M.E.  and 
e.N.E.form  of  ' owlet,'  cp.  O.  FR.  hulotte.  A  charm  ingredient  in  the  Masque  of  Queenes 
is  "the  scrich-owles  egs  and  the  feathers  black."  SF  18  POWREFULL,  'potent,'  cp. 
"powrefull  rime"  Sonn.LV.2,  "powerfull  sound"  All's  W.II.I.I79.     TROUBLE:  the 

sense  of  'means  of  physical 


ACT  IV 


SCENE  I 


22-36 


annoyance'  has  not  quite 
faded  from  the  meaning  of 
the  word,  though  now  some- 
what vague. 

SF22  In  Ben  Jonson  it  is 
" oculi  draconum"  (cp.  v.  15) 
and  ulupi  crines"  that  are 
the  charm  ingredients.  SF  23 
WITCHES'  MUMMEY:  the 
EL.  mummia  or  mummy,  ac- 
cording to  the  New  World 
of  Words,  is  "  a  kind  of  pitchy 
substance  arising  from  mois- 
ture which  is  sweat  out  of 
dead  bodies  that  have  been 
embalmed  with  divers  sorts 
of  spices."  Purchas's  Pil- 
grimage, V,  p.  682,  speaks  of 
a  method  of  manufacturing 
this  in  Ethiopia :  "  They  make 
mummia  otherwise  then  in 
other  partes,  where  it  is  eyther 
made  of  bodies  buried  in  the 
sands  or  taken  out  of  ancient 
sepulcheres  where  they  had 
been  laide  being  embalmed 
with  spices.  For  they  take 
a  captive  Moore,  of  the  best  complexion,  and  after  long  dieting  and  medicining  of  him, 
cut  off  his  head  in  his  sleepe,  and  gashing  his  bodie  full  of  wounds,  put  therein  all  the 
best  spices,  and  then  wrap  him  up  in  hay,  being  covered  with  a  seare-cloth  [cp.  Merch. 
II. 7. 5 1],  after  which  they  burie  him  in  a  moyst  place,  covering  the  bodie  with  earth.  Five 
dayes   being  passed,  they  take  him  up  againe,  and  removing  the  seare-cloth  and  hay, 

147 


THIRD   WITCH 
Scale  of  dragon,  tooth  of  wolfe, 
Witches'  mummey,  maw  and  gulfe 
Of  the  ravin'd  salt  sea  sharke, 
Roote  of  hemlocke  digg'd  i'  thr  darke, 
Liver  of  blaspheming  Jew, 
Gall  of  goate,  and  slippes  of  yew 
Sliver'd  in  the  moones  ecclipse, 
Nose  of  Turke  and  Tartar's  lips, 
Finger  of  birth-strangled  babe 
Ditch-deliver' d  by  a  drab  — 
Make  the  grewell  thicke  and  slab: 
Adde  thereto  a  tiger's  chawdron, 
For  th'  ingredience  of  our  cawdron. 

ALL 
Double,  double,  toyle  and  trouble; 
Fire  burne  and  cauldron  bubble. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

hang  him  up  in  the  sunne,  whereby  the  bodie  resolveth  and  droppeth  a  substance  like 
pure  balme,  which  liquor  is  of  great  price."  Some  such  horrible  concoction  as  this  Shak- 
spere  evidently  had  in  mind  here  and  in  Oth.  III. 4. 74,  where  he  says  "There's  magicke 
in  the  web  of  it  .  .  And  it  was  dyde  in  mummey  which  the  skilfull  Conserve  of  maidens' 
hearts."  MAW  usually  means  stomach  in  EL.E.,  but  the  word  is  applied  in  MN.E.  to 
the  air-bladder  of  a  fish  —  see  Cent.  Diet.  3 — and  may  have  been  so  used  in  EL.  E.  also. 
For  GULFE  as  applied  to  the  stomach  of  an  animal,  cp.  "Whether  thou  wilt  remaine  with 
the  serpent  and  .  .  be  swallowed  up  into  the  gowlfe  of  his  body"  Arlington,  1 566  (cited 
inN.E.D.  3  b).  In  Shakspere's  time  the  word  rhymed  with  "wolfe."  SF  24  RAVIN'D, 
'gorged  with  prey,'  another  instance  of  the  -ed  suffix  in  the  sense  of  'full  of.'  The  noun 
"ravin,"  in  the  sense  of  'prey,'  occurs  in  Nahum  II.  12,  "The  lion  .  .  filled  .  .  his  holes 
with  pray  and  his  dennes  with  ravine"  (cited  in  Cent.  Diet.).  SHARKE  as  the  name  of 
the  dog-fish  or  '  hound-fish '  seems  to  have  been  a  new  word  in  EL.  E.,  and  hence,  probably, 
the  epithet  SALT  SEA,  i.e.  marinus,  cp.  "fishes  called  sharkes,  most  ravenous  devourers" 
Purchas's  Pilgrimage,  V,  p.  712.  Sir  John  Hawkins  also  says  that  the  "shark  is  a  fish 
like  unto  those  which  wee  call  dog-fishes"  Purchas,  IV, p.  1330  (cited  in  Phipson).  SF  25 
HEMLOCKE,  the  cicuta  already  referred  to  in  1.3.84;  cp.  "hemlocke  is  very  evyl,  dan- 
gerous, hurtful,  and  venemous"  Lyte,  1578  (cited  in  N.E.D.).  In  the  Masque  of  Queenes 
it  is  the  mandrake  that  is  'digged  in  the  dark.'  *ff  26  Whether  BLASPHEMING  is  in- 
tended in  its  modern  sense  of 

'blaspheming   against    God'        APT    IU  CfUMp     I  27      50 

(cp.    John     III.  I.  161)    and       Al^  l      1V  S^CINC    1  }/-}V 

Shakspere  had  in  mind  'the 

apostate  Jew,'  or  whether  it  SECOND    WITCH 

is    intended    in    its    strictly       Code  it  with   a  baboones  blood, 

^ *£5 7  tXt  Then  the  charme  is  firme  and  £°°d- 

N.E.D.3,  is  uncertain.     We 

learn  from  Purchas's  Pilgrimage,  V,p.  155,  how  deep  was  the  prejudice  against  the  Jews 
in  England  as  well  as  in  the  rest  of  Europe  during  the  sixteenth  century,  and  how  the 
Elizabethan,  in  reckoning  him  with  Turks  and  infidels,  thought  that  he  was  only  helping 
the  Almighty  to  carry  out  a  Biblical  curse.  A  sympathetic  account  of  the  Jew  in  Eliza- 
bethan England  will  be  found  in  Mr,  Sidney  Lee's  essay  printed  in  the  Shak.  Soc. 
Trans.,  '87-'92,  pp.  143  ff.  SF  27  SLIPPES,  cp.  "a  slip  of  a  tree,  surculus"  Phr.Gen. 
The  YEW  was  held  in  sinister  regard  from  the  fact  that  it  was  planted  in  churchyards, 
cp.  "dismall  yew"  Titus  II. 3- 107.  SF 28  SLIVER'D,  'lopped  off,'  'clipped,'  cp.  "sliver, 
findo"  Coles,  and  "She  that  her  selfe  will  sliver  and  disbranch  From  her  materiall  sap" 
Lear  IV. 2. 34.  SF  29  TURKE  AND  TARTAR,  the  latter  word  designating  the  hordes  of 
northern  China,  were  the  two  great  divisions  of  the  terrible  infidel  perils  that  menaced 
Christendom  in  the  sixteenth  century,  a  terror  that  is  still  reflected  in  our  modern  usage 
of  these  words  for  persons  of  a  savage  disposition.  SF  30  Middleton's  lines  in  the 
Witch,  1.2,  "Here,  take  this  unbaptized  brat;  Boil  it  well,  preserve  the  fat,  You  know 
't  is  precious  to  transfer  Our  'nointed  flesh  into  the  air"  reflects  the  same  notion;  cp. 
also  Jonson,  "Their  killing  of  infants  is  common,  both  for  confection  of  their  ointment 
(wherto  one  ingredient  is  the  fat  boiled),"  etc.  So,  too,  Reginald  Scot,  X.vii:  "R  [i.e. 
take]  The  fat  of  young  children  and  seeth  it,  .  .  reserving  the  thickest  of  that  which 
remaineth  boiled  in  the  bottome"  (cp.  v. 32).  The  sound  of  a  in  BABE  was  something 
like  that  of  MN.  ce  in  'grass,'  as  pronounced  in  the  United  States,  so  that  the  rhymed  sylla- 
bles present  only  a  difference  in  length  and  not  one  of  character.  SF  31  FO.  I  and  modern 
editions  place  a  comma  after  "  drab."  TF  32  SLAB  :  the  usual  form  of  the  word  is  "  slabby  " 
in  Minsheu,  Kersey,  Skinner,  Holyoke,  etc.;  it  means  ' miry," sticky," pasty ' :  "slab"  is 
a  noun  meaning  '  mud  puddle'  in  Kersey  and  in  the  Glossographia.  *IF  33  CHAWDRON, 
'the  entrails  of  a  beast,' N.E.D.  2.    SF  34   INGREDIENCE,cp.note  to  1.7. 1 1.    SF  37    BABOON 

148 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


and  "babioun,"  another  form  of  the  same  word,  were  stressed  upon  the  first  syllable 
in  Shakspere's  time,  cp.  "babion  or  great  monckie"  Minsheu,  and  "a  babian  or  monkey, 
mice11  Percival.  The  same  stress  occurs  in  "For  what  thou  professest  a  baboon,  could 
he  speak"  Per.  IV.6.I89.  *ff 38  FIRME, 'close  in  texture,'  N. E.D.I;  the  reference  is 
to  v.  32.  The  'ingredience'  of  this  mixture  could  not  possibly  be  represented  upon  the 
stage.  Its  horrible  interest  is  literary,  bringing  together  a  multitude  of  gruesome  asso- 
ciations, "poyson,"  "entrailes,"  "toad,"  "cold  stone,"  "sweltred  venom,"  etc. — a  cata- 
logue of  popular  repugnances  that  haunt  the  imagination  of  the  child  and  are  never  quite 
banished  from  the  mind  of  the  maturer  man.    The  chorus  also  has  the  traditional  rhythm 


association  of  popular  poetry,  '  x  ' 


'    x  r    x  '    x  t    x 


,  a  typical   charm   series  of 


rhythm  waves  whose  impulses  begin  with  explosive  consonants.     Such  poetry  is  of  the 
sort  that  human  nature  weaves  about  the  supernatural,  and  is  quite  different  from  the 

artificial    verse    of    Act    III, 

ACT  IV  SCENE  I 


39-47 

f  ENTER  HECAT  AND  THE  OTHER  THREE  WITCHES 

HECAT 
O  well  done!  I  commend  your  paines; 
And  every  one  shall  share  i'  th'gaines: 
And  now  about  the  cauldron  sing, 
Like  elves  and  fairies  in  a  ring, 
Inchanting  all  that  you  put  in. 

MUSICKE  AND   A   SONG:    "BLACKE   SPIRITS"  &C 

HECAT   RETIRESf 


Scene  V. 


ENTER  HECAT  AND  THE 
OTHER  THREE  WITCHES 
is  palpably  an  interpolation 
intended  to  join  the  machin- 
ery of  Act  III,  Scene  V  to 
this.  Modern  editors  alter 
the  AND  to  'to'  in  order  to 
make  the  fitting  more  apt ;  but 
this  does  not  improve  mat- 
ters, for  it  makes  OTHER 
peculiar,  to  say  the  least,  de- 
spite Dyce's  consciousness 
of  his  'great  mistake'  and  the 
stage  interpretation  of  Mac- 


OD^ulNU     wn^n  ready#     The  wholg   passage 

By  the  pricking  of  my  thumbes,  down  to  v.  43  is  obviously  in- 

Somethind  wicked  this  way  comes.  terpolated  probably  by  Mid- 

p  111  dleton:      HECAT     RETIRES 

Open  lockes,  who  ever  knockes!  46,47       has   been  added  by  modern 

editors.  Steevens  pointed  out 
that  the  song  called  for  is  to  be  found  in  Middleton's  Witch  as  well  as  in  Davenant's 
Macbeth.     It  reads  thus  : 


Black  spirits  and  white,  red  spirits  and  gray, 
Mingle,  mingle,  mingle,  you  that  mingle  may! 

Titty,  Tiffin, 

Keep  it  stiff  in  ; 

Firedrake,  Puckey, 


Make  it  lucky; 

Liard,  Robin, 

You  must  bob  in. 
Round,  around,  around,  about,  about ! 
All  ill  come  running  in,  all  good  keep  out ! 


*ff39  The  stress  "well  done"  may  be  EL.  idiom:  Shakspere  seems  to  employ  the  same 
stress  in  II.  4. 37,  but  in  all  other  instances  it  is  "well  done."  SF  43  This  rhymeless  verse 
is  not  in  Davenant's  version.  The  song  in  the  Witch  is  introduced  by  "Stir,  stir  about 
whilst  I  begin  the  charme"  :  with  the  excision  of  the  last  two  words,  this  would  make  a  good 
pair  for  "  Enchanting  all  that  you  put  in."  Whether  or  not  vv.  44-47  are  part  of  the  interpo- 
lation is  not  certain.  In  Davenant's  version  they  are  in  four-wave  rising  rhythm,  "I,  by 
the  pricking  of  my  thumbs,  Know  something  wicked  this  way  comes,"  which  may  have 
been  their  original  form.  If  this  be  so  they  belong  with  the  interpolated  Hecate  passage 
above.     Shakspere's  witches  would  hardly  say  of  Macbeth,  "Something  wicked  this  way 

149 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

comes"  ;  the  attitude  which  these  words  represent  fits  in  rather  with  124  ff.,  an  indubitably- 
interpolated  passage.  The  itching  of  the  thumbs  as  an  omen  is  commented  upon  in 
Brand's  Antiquities,  but  only  on  the  basis  of  this  passage.  SF  46  The  opening  of  locks 
as  a  witches'  prerogative  is 

ACT  IV  SCENE  I 


referred  to  in  Jonson's  Sad 
Shepherd,  II. 2,  "Search  for 
a  weed  To  open  locks  with." 

SF48  SECRET,  'occult,'  cp. 
"If  secret  powers  suggest 
but  truth  To  my  divining 
thoughts"  3Hen.6  IV.  6.  68. 
Macbeth  here  uses  the  term 
BLACK  in  its  EL.  sense  of 
1  sinister,'  cp.  1. 4. 5 1 ,  IV.  3-  52, 
and  "that  black  name,  Ed- 
ward, Black  Prince  of  Wales" 
Hen.5  II. 4.56.  <ff  50  CON- 
JURE in  EL.  E.  is  a  synonym 
of  'adjure,'  cp.  "  I  conjure 
thee  to  leave  me  and  be  gon" 
Err.  IV.  3-  68.  The  word  had 
stress  on  the  first  syllable. 
PROFESSE  in  EL.E.  means 
'make  claim  to  know/  cp. 
"In  what  he  did  professe 
well  found"  All's  W.II.  1. 105. 
SF  52  A  similar  description 
is  found  in  Lear  III. 2.  Iff. 
SF54  CON  FOUND, 'ruin' and 
'  mingle  together,'  one  of  those 
graphic  words  with  double 
sense  so  common  in  Shak- 
spere.  NAVIGATION  in  the 
1 7th  century  had  the  concrete 
meaning, '  shipping' ;  cp."'this 
kingdomes  wonderous  en- 
crease  of  traffique  and  navi- 
gation" Harrison's  England, 
11.23,  and  "great  expense 
of  timber  for  navigation" 
Stowe's  Annales,  1631,  p.  1024.  SF55  BLADED:  Collier  and  some  modern  editors  ob- 
ject to  "bladed"  because  corn  'not  yet  in  the  ear'  cannot  be  "lodged"  by  storms.  But 
"bladed"  in  EL.E.  implies  that  the  corn  is  in  the  green  ear,  cp.  "those  fruits  of  the  earth 
that  rise  up  to  blade  (straw,  stal  [i.e.  "stale,"  an  EL.  word  for  'stalk'])  and  bear  eares" 
Comenius,  'Janua'  127,  and  "As  soon  as  standing  corn  shoots  up  to  a  blade  it  is  in  dan- 
ger of  scath  by  tempests"  ibid.  394.  LODG'D, 'beaten  down  by  the  wind.'  SF57  PYRA- 
MIDS in  EL.E.  described  both  obelisks  and  pyramids,  and  was  therefore  used  of  any 
spire-like  structure;  cp.  Marlowe's  Dido,  III.  I, 'The  masts  whereon  the  swelling  sails 
shall  hang,  Hollow  pyramides  of  silver  plate';  cp.,  too,  Marlowe's  Faustus,  VII.  43r 
'high  pyramides  Which  Julius  Caesar  brought  from  Africa,'  and  the  editor's  note  that 'it 
had  been  rather  beyond  Julius  Caesar's  power'  to  bring  a  pyramid  from  Egypt  (Ward's 
Old  English  Drama,  p.  181).    Cooper  glosses  pyramis  "also  a  steeple,"  and  pyramidatus 

150 


48-61 

ENTER   MACBETH 

MACBETH 
How  now,  you  secret,  black,  and  midnight 

hags! 
What  is  Tt  you  do? 

ALL 

A  deed  without  a  name. 

MACBETH 

I  conjure  you,  by  that  which  you  professe, 

How  ere  you  come  to  know  it,  answer  me: 

Though  you  untye  the  windes  and  let  them 

fight 

Against  the  churches ;  though  the  yesty  waves 
Confound  and  swallow  navigation  up; 
Though   bladed  corne  be  lodg'd  and  trees 

blown  downe; 
Though    castles   topple    on    their   warders' 

heads; 
Though  pallaces  and  pyramids  do  slope 
Their  heads  to  their  foundations ;  though  the 

treasure 
Of  nature's  germaine  tumble  altogether, 
Even  till  destruction  sicken ;  answer  me 
To  what  I  aske  you. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

•'made  steeple  wise"  ;  so  Coles,  "pyramis,  an  Egyptian  building  like  a  spire-steeple,"  and 
Holyoke,  u pyramis,  a  steeple,  a  spire,  a  shaft,  a  broach  [i.e.  obelisk]."  The  word  here, 
therefore,  means  'towers,'  'spires,'  or  'pinnacles,'  and  not  the  'pyramids  of  Egypt.' 
SLOPE  is  a  stronger  word  in  EL.  E.  than  now,  and  means  'to  incline,'  'slant,'  'lean':  an 
oblique  line  is  defined  in  EL.  dictionaries  as  'a  sloping  line.'  SF  58  HEAD,  'the  summit 
of  an  eminence  or  erection,'  N.  E.  D.  12.  In  EL. E.  the  word  denoted  also  'the  capstone 
of  a  column,' N.E.  D.  8  1.  A  similar  figure  is  found  in  Merch.  1. 1.28.  SF  59  GERMAINE, 
'seeds.'  Bacon  speaks  of  the  "principles  or  seedes  of  things,"  and  Jonson  has  the  same 
notion  in  "You  .  .  that  know  how  well  it  [i.e.  union]  binds  the  fighting  seeds  of  things" 
Masques,  p.  132.  Cp.  also  note  to  1.3.58.  In  a  note  to  his  Masque  of  Queenes,  p.  165, 
Jonson  says  these  powers  of  troubling  nature  are  frequently  ascribed  to  witches,  and 
cites  Remigius  :  "Qua  possint  evertere  funditus  orbem  et  manes  superis  miscere  hac  unica 
cura  est.'1  The  same  notion  occurs  in  Lear  III. 2. 8:  "all  germaines  spill  at  once  That 
makes  ingratefull  man" — cp.  Lucretius's  "Celesti  semine  omnes  sumus  oriundi."  Theo- 
bald's emendation,  'germins'  (the  plural  form),  is  incorporated  into  the  Cambridge  and 
other  MN.  texts,  but  it  rests  on  the  same  foundation  as  the  changing  of  "seedes"  to 
'seed'  in  III.  1.70.  Shakspere  was  the  first  to  use  the  word  in  English, and  no  doubt  felt 
at  liberty  to  employ  it  collectively,  as  Delius  suggests.  The  climax  of  this  mass  of  asso- 
ciations—  unleashed  winds  venting  their  mad  fury  on  the  churches,  yeasty  waves  swallow- 
ing ships,  storm-lodged  corn,  toppling  castles  and  overturned  pinnacles  crashing  down  until 
ruin  itself  is  nauseated — true  children  of  Macbeth's  poetic  imagination  — is  aptly  repre- 
sented in  the  rhythm,  a  series  of  rising,  cumulative  phrases  piling  themselves  up,  one  after 
another,  without  a  single  check  in  the  onward  flow,  until  the  whole  flood  swells  over  its 
barrier  in  the  reversal  of  v.  60,  '  x.     It  is  an  excellent  illustration  of  the  power  of 

Shakspere's  versification,  whose  full  force  can  readily  be  appreciated  if  one  alters,  for 
instance,  vv.  55  ff .  to '  Lodging  the  bladed  corn,  uprooting  trees,  Toppling  their  castles  on  the 
warders'  heads,'  etc. ;  any  other  disposition  of  stress  than  the  marvellously  fitting  one 

Shakspere  gives  will  rob  the 

ACT  IV  SCENE  I  61-63     ^1^^ 

with    its    cumulative    series, 
FIRST   WITCH  /  ||  x  ,  ||„  ,  xf  is  in  peculiarly 

Speake.  Shaksperian  rhythm. 

SECOND    WITCH  <ff  63  The  MASTERS  here  are 

Demand.  not  the  evil  spirits  sitting  aloft 

TUIDn    ay/it/^u  to  direct  the  witches  as  in  III. 

1H1RU    W1J^H  5.35,butare'theentreasured 

Wee  ?1  answer.  seeds  and  weak  beginnings' 

FIRST    WITCH  of  the  events  that  are  to  influ- 
ence Macbeth's  destiny.    But 

Say  if  th'  hadst    rather  heare  it  from   our     it  is  not  a  happy  word:  indeed, 

mouthes  vv.  62  and  63  are  strangely  out 

^     P  ..  of  keeping  with  the  context, 

Or  trom  our  masters  t  for  tne  First  Witch's  distinc- 

M  AC  BETH  t*on  *s  one  °^  academic  de- 

^    ..   ,  .  ,  monology,andMacbeth'spro- 

Uall    em;  let  me  see    em.       Saic"Call'em;letmesee'em," 

a  strange  anticlimax  to  hispre- 
ceding demand.  "Thy  selfe  and  office  deaftlyshow"  in  v.68isalsoa  more  orless  artificial  no- 
tion which  hardly  belongs  in  Shakspere's  demonology.  It  is  possible,  therefore,  that  vv.  62 
to  68  are  a  part  of  the  interpolated  matter.  The  'EM  in  v.  63  is  not  so  undignified  in  EL.  E. 
as  in  MN.E.,  see  note  to  II. 2. 13.    Many  modern  editors  alter  "'em"  in  both  cases  to  'them.' 

151 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SF64  POWRE  :  w  in  M.E.ande.N.  E.  is  usually  written  for  u  when  it  is  the  second  element 
of  a  diphthong  followed  by  a  consonant ;  MN.E.  words  usually  retain  this  spelling  before  /, 
e.g.  'bowl/  'brawl.'  SOWES  BLOOD  THAT  HATH  EATEN,  etc.,  is  good  EL.  word  order  : 
such  collocations  are  usually  avoided  in  MN.E.  by  the  use  of  the  'of  genitive.  EATEN 
rhymes  with  SWEATEN,  ea  not  yet  having  become  i  in  the  former  word,  and  the  vowel 
not  yet  having  been  shortened  in  the  latter.  <lr65  FARROW,  'litters/  the  word  is  a  col- 
lective plural,  N.E.D.  3;  Steevens  quotes  from  the  laws  of  Kenneth  in  Holinshed,  p.  181, 
"  If  a  sowe  eate  her  pigges  let  her  be  stoned  to  death  and  buried."  Shakspere's  sow  is  nine 
times  wicked.  G  REAZE  :  the  word  was  applied  in  EL.  E.  to  any  fatlike  substance,  N.  E.  D.  I  ; 
the  intervocalic  z  is  still  heard. 

ACT  IV  SCENE  I 


SWEATEN   is   made   on   the 

analogy  of  a  strong  past  par- 
ticiple ;  "have  sitten  down," 

"  hunger-starven,"  "  had  lien  " 

are     similar    e.  N.  E.    forms. 

SF66     In     the     Masque     of 

Queenes   it   is   the   "sinew" 

and  "hair"  of  a  hanged  mur- 
derer   that    are    used.      SF  67 

HIGH  OR  LOW,  'great  spirits 

or  lesser  spirits.'    %  68    THY 

SELFE     AND    OFFICE    [i.e. 

function]    DEAFTLY    SHOW 

sounds  like  Act  III,  Scene  V. 

DEAFTLY  is  MN.E.  'deftly/ 

with  the  e  not  yet  shortened. 

The  apparitions  which  follow 

are  "the  hatch  and  brood  of 

time,"    embryos    of    coming 

events.  The  ARMED  HEAD 
(i.e.  head  cased  in  armour, 
see  note  to  III. 4. 101)  repre- 
sents symbolically  Macbeth's 
head  cut  off  and  brought  to 
Malcolm  by  Macduff  (V.8. 
53).  The  BLOODY  CHILDE 
is  Macduff,  untimely  ripped 
from  his  mother's  womb  (V.  8. 
15).  The  CHILDE  CROWN- 
ED with  the  bough  in  his  hand 
is  Malcolm,  who  ordered  his 
soldiers  to  hew  down  boughs 
and  bear  them   before  them 

to  Dunsinane  (Steevens's  'observation'  adopted  from  Mr.  Upton).  The  apparitions  are 
misunderstood  by  Macbeth,  who  probably  takes  the  armed  head  for  rebellion's  head,  the 
bloody  child  for  Macduff's  murdered  son,  and  the  child  with  the  crown  on  his  head  and  the 
bough  in  his  hand  as  the  insignia  of  his  own  house,  now  made  secure  by  the  Dunsinane 
prophecy.  <ff7I  The  rhythm  is  full  of  omen,  *  '  ||  x  '  ||  ''  ||  *  '  *  '  ||  x  '  x  '  *  '  \\  x  '  ** '. 
ME  and  ENOUGH  are  in  all  probability  intended  to  be  run  together;  that  such  elision 
even  of  long  vowels  was  a  current  feature  of  EL.  verse  is  shown  by  the  numerous  in- 
stances of  it  in  EL.  poetry  where  EL.  printers  have  set  an  apostrophe  instead  of  the  vowel, 
e.g.  "Why  shouldst  thou  hope  of  men  to  b' intertained"  Poetic  Miscellany  of  the  Time 
of  James  I,  ed.  Halliwell,  Percy  Soc,  p.  I  ;  "I  will  not  strive  m' invention  to  inforce" 

152 


64-72 

FIRST   WITCH 
Powre  in  sowes  blood  that  hath  eaten 
Her  nine  farrow;  greaze  that 's  sweaten 
From  the  murderer's  gibbet  throw 
Into  the  flame. 

ALL 
Come  high  or  low; 
Thy  selfe  and  office  deaftly  show! 

THUNDER 
FIRST  APPARITION:    AN    ARMED    HEAD 

MACBETH 
Tell  me,  thou  unknowne  power, — 
FIRST  WITCH 

He  knowes  thy  thought: 
Heare  his  speech,  but  say  thou  nought. 

FIRST   APPARITION 
Macbeth!     Macbeth!     Macbeth!     Beware 

Macduffe; 
Beware  the  Thane  of  Fife.     Dismisse  me. 
Enough. 

HE   DESCENDS 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


Drayton,  'Dedication/  Spenser  Soc,  p.  3;"To  b'earle  of  March  doth  suddainely  aspire" 
ibid.,  'Barrons  Warres'  VI.  4.  3?  "I  do  exceed  m?  instructions  to  acquaint"  Jonson's 
Sejanus,  V.6,  ed.  1640,  p.  365-  Such  elisions  were  a  common  feature  of  M.E.  versifi- 
cation, and  are  found  all  through  EL.  poetry.  Abbott  cites  a  number  from  Shakspere, — 
"How  came  we  a  shore?"  Temp. 1. 2. 158,  "too  unkinde  a  cause  of  greefe"  Merch.V.  1. 175, 
etc., —  and  his  list  could  be  greatly  extended.  The  apparition's  ENOUGH  is  not  only 
the  last  word  of  the  armed  head,  but  Macbeth's  last  word  also,  cp.  V.8.34.  HE  DE- 
SCENDS is  the  direction  for 


ACT  IV 


SCENE  I 


73-86 


the  apparition  to  go  down 
through  the  trap-door  of  the 
stage. 

SF74  HARP'D, 'guessed,' an 
EL.  meaning  of  the  word  il- 
lustrated in  N.  E.  D.  7,  cp. 
iiCParler  a  taston,  to  speak 
byghesse  or  conjecture,  onely 
to  harpe  at  the  matter"  Cot- 
grave.  SF  75  Though  it  was 
a  popular  belief  that  spirits 
could  not  be  commanded, 
there  is  a  deep  irony  in  the 
witches  thus  informing  Mac- 
beth that  he  is  not  king  in 
dealing  with  the  powers  of 
evil :  so,  too,  there  is  a  hidden 
irony  in  the  fact  that  the  sec- 
ond apparition,  Macduff,  is 
described  as  MORE  POTENT 
than  the  first,  Macbeth.  SF  79 
RESOLUTE,  'res'lute,'  like 
"absolute  "in  IV.  3. 38.  SF80 
The  equivocal  prophecy  of 
Macbeth's  invulnerability  is 
recorded  in  Holinshed  (  Bos- 
well-Stone,  p.  36)  along  with 
the  warning  against  Macduff 
and  the  Dunsinane  prediction. 
SF 82  OF,'from,'ausual sense 
of  the  preposition.  SF  83 
DOUBLE, 'doubly,'  N.  E.D.I, 
cp.  All's  W.  II.  3- 254  and 
"Those  that  gull  us  with  the 
assuranceof  an  extraordinarie 
facultie  [i.e.  power]  .  .  ought 
to  be  double  punished"  Flo- 
rio's  Montaigne,  I.  xxx.  TF  84 
TAKE  A  BOND  OF  FATE, 
'require  a  pledge  [cp.  note  to  1 1 1.2. 49]  from  death,'  and  thus  have  two  bonds  for  the  ful- 
filment of  the  prophecy  that  none  shall  harm  Macbeth.  The  sense  of  "double"  is  missed 
by  the  modern  reading  of  FATE  in  the  sense  of  'destiny';  the  stress  falls  upon  "fate," 
not  upon  "bond."  ^85  PALE-HEARTED  FEARE  is  a  haunting,  ever-present  person  to 
Macbeth  :  to  get  rid  of  "feare,"  which  he  never  knew  before  his  meeting  with  the  witches, 

153 


MACBETH 
What  ere  thou  art,  for  thy  good   caution, 

thanks; 
Thou  hast  harp'd  my  feare  aright:    but  one 
word  more, — 

FIRST  WITCH 
He  will  not  be  commanded :  heere  's  another, 
More  potent  then  the  first. 

THUNDER 
SECOND   APPARITION:    A   BLOODY  CHILDE 

SECOND  APPARITION 
Macbeth  !   Macbeth  !   Macbeth  ! 

MACBETH 
Had  I  three  eares,  I  'Id  heare  thee. 

SECOND  APPARITION 
Be  bloody,  bold,  and  resolute ;  laugh  to  scorne 
The  powre  of  man,  for  none  of  woman  borne 
Shall  harme  Macbeth. 

DESCENDS 

MACBETH 
Then  live,  Macduffe:   what  need  I  feare  of 

thee? 
But  yet  I  'le  make  assurance  double  sure, 
And  take  a  bond  of  fate:  thou  shalt  not  live; 
That  I  may  tell  pale-hearted  feare  it  lies, 
And  sleepe  in  spight  of  thunder. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

has  been  the  end  of  his  titanic  efforts  all  through  the  play.  SF  86  TO  SLEEPE  IN  SPIGHT 
OF  THUNDER  is  not  inapposite  and  disconnected  as  it  seems  to  us  to  be,  but  one  of  those 
side-lights  that  flash  out  from  time  to  time  to  reveal  to  the  audience  Macbeth's  suffering. 
Dread  at  the  approach  of  a 

ACT  IV  SCENE  I 


thunder-storm  is  a  symptom 
of  insanity  in'Anat.  of  Mel.' 
1.2.25:  'Those  which  are 
already  mad  rave  down  right 
either  in  or  against  [i.e.  at  the 
approach  of,  cp.  1.7. 19]  a 
tempest':  see  also  note  to 
II. 3-59. 

*TF88  ROUND,  'crown,'  cp. 
note  to  1.5.29-  SF89  TOP 
is  commented  upon  by  MN. 
editors  as  an  unusual  poetic 
usage  of  words.  Johnson  ex- 
plains that  by  "round"  is 
meant  the  base  of  the  crown 
and  by  "top"  the  ornament 
above  it.  But  in  EL.  E.  the 
word  meant '  crown,' '  pitch  of 
attainment,'  see  the  examples 
in  Cent.  Diet.  s.v.  8,  and  cp. 
"O  Mustapha,  the  top  of 
glorie,  .  .  grant  us  victorie" 
Purchas's  Pilgrimage,  V.  3 1 1  > 
and  "to  the  spire  and  top 
of  prayses  vouched"  Cor.1.9. 
24.  TOO'T,  cp.  1.2.7.  SF  9 1 
ARE  rhymes  with  CARE,  see 
note  to  III.  5.  2.  SF93  BYR- 
NAM  WOOD  is  twelve  miles 
W.N.W.ofDunsinane.  DUN- 
SINANE:  FO.  I  has  "Duns- 
mane,"  apparently  an  over- 
looked printer's  error  of  m  for 
in.  Both"  Dunsinane" (corre- 
sponding to  the  MN.  Scotch 
accentuation)  and  "  Dunsi- 
nane" occur  in  Wyntown  as 
well  as  in  Shakspere  (notedby 
Steevens).  The  latter  form 
Slatyer  syncopates  to  Duns- 
nane  in  "Till  Dunsnane  cas- 
tell,  high  in  th'  ayre,"  which 
he  makes  cDusitana  cacumine 
montisj  probably  ' metri  gra- 


86-103 

THUNDER 

THIRD  APPARITION:   A   CHILDE  CROWNED 

WITH   A   TREE   IN    HIS   HAND 

What  is  this 
That  rises  like  the  issue  of  a  king, 
And  weares  upon  his  baby-brow  the  round 
And  top  of  soveraignty? 

ALL 
Listen,  but  speake  not  too  Tt. 

THIRD  APPARITION 
Be  lyon  metled,  proud;   and  take  no  care 
Who  chafes,  who  frets,  or  where  conspirers 

are: 
Macbeth  shall  never  vanquish'd  be  untill 
Great  Byrnam  Wood  to  high  Dunsinane  Hill 
Shall  come  against  him. 

DESCEND 

MACBETH 

That  will  never  bee: 
Who  can  impresse  the  forrest,  bid  the  tree 
Unfixe  his  earth-bound  root?    Sweet  boad- 

ments!   good! 
Rebellious  head  rise  never  till  the  wood 
Of  Byrnan  rise,  and  our  high  plac'd  Macbeth 
Shall  live  the  lease  of  nature,  pay  his  breath 
To  time  and  mortall  custome.    Yet  my  hart 
Throbs  to  know  one  thing:   tell  me,  if  your 

art 
Can  tell  so  much  :   Shall  Banquo's  issue  ever 
Reigne  in  this  kingdome? 


rfa,'  though  he  may  have  in- 
tended'Dunstana.'    SF95  IMPRESSE, 'force  to  serve  as  soldiers,' due  to  the  "come  against" 
above.      <ff  96    BOADMENTS,  'predictions,'  N.E.D.  I.      <ff  97    REBELLIOUS  HEAD  :  FO.  I 
has  "  rebellious  dead"  :  Theobald  emended  this  to  '  Rebellion's  head,'  which  the  Cambridge 


A^f  1 


154 


AJL 


/*. 


/„ 


TH 


E    Tl 


IU^ 


RAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


Text  and  other  MN.  editions  incorporate.  But  there  is  no  warrant  for  assuming  anything 
further  than  a  mistake  of  d  for  h  (the  letters  were  contiguous  in  the  EL.  type-case,  d  being 
above  and  to  the  left  of  h).  HEAD  in  EL.E.  means  'a  body  of  people  gathered  together,' 
N.E.D.  30, cp.  "That  Dowglas  and  the  English  rebels  met,  .  .  A  mightie  and  a  fearefull  head 
they  are"  lHen.4  III. 2.165.  "  Rebellious  head,"  therefore,  refers  to  the  populace  rising  in 
rebellion  under  Macduff's  leadership,  as  Macbeth  interprets  the  armed  head  to  foretell.  This 
second  reading, '  rebellious  head,'  is  likewise  a  conjecture  of  Theobald's.  The  whole  thought 
is  conditional,  RISE  being  tantamount  to  a  subjunctive,  'if  no  rebellious  head  shall  rise,'  etc. 
MN.  editors  change  the  punctuation  of  the  Folio,  adding  a  comma  after  NEVER  to  make 
the  construction  imperative.  SF  98  BYRN  AN  is  a  variant  form  of  Birnam,  and  not  a  printer's 
error  as  MN.  editors  assume.  Holinshed  has  "the  wood  of  Bernane"  ;  Slatyer's  Palasal- 
bion, p. 288,  UCB yrnance  silvce"  which  he  renders  in  English  "woods  of  Wey re"  ;  Wyntown 
gives  the  form"  Brynnane."  OUR  has  been  found  fault  with  as  coming  from  Macbeth  himself, 
and  variously  emended  to '  your,' '  now,'  and '  old.'  But  Macbeth  thinks  of  himself  objectively 
as  one  whom  he  and  the  weird  sisters  —  he  has  already  hinted  at  the  community  of  interest 
in  his  "sweet  boadments" — are  backing  in  a  game  against  fate  and  death.  HIGH  PLAC'D 
is  a  palpable  reference  to  his  castle  on  "high  Dunsinane  hill,"  and  not  to  Macbeth's  sov- 
ereignty. SF  99  LEASE  OF  N ATU  RE,  i.e.  lease  of  life,  the  same  notion  as  Lady  Macbeth's 
in  "nature's  coppie"  III. 2. 38.  BREATH,  'life,'  'spirit,'  still  used  in  'breath  of  life';  cp. 
"Whan  with  honour  up  yolden  ['yielded']  is  his  breeth"  Chaucer,  Cant.  Tales,  A  3052,  and 
Wesley's  Psalms,  "He  guards  our  souls,  he  keeps  our  breath"  (cited  in  N.E. D.).      SF  100 

TIME, i.e. Time  thedestroyer. 

ACT  IV  SCENE  I 


103-1 11 

ALL 

Seeke  to  know  no  more. 
MACBETH 
I  will  be  satisfied:   deny  me  this, 
And  an  eternall  curse  fall  on  you!     Let  me 

knowl 
Why  sinkes  that  caldron?  and  what  noise  is 
this? 

HOBOYES 

FIRST  WITCH 


MORTALL  CUSTOME,  'the 
custom  of  mortality,'  '  the 
universal  due  of  death,'  an  in- 
stance of  Shakspere's  mar- 
vellous power  in  bringing 
together  poetic  associations. 
YET,  'still,'  in  its  usual  EL. 
position  at  the  beginning  of 
the  sentence  :  'my  heart  still 
throbs.'  HART  is  a  common 
EL.  spelling  of  'heart,'  see 
N.E.D.  s.v.  «ff  102  EVER  is 
probably  intended  to  be  read 
as  'e'er,'  and  the  verse  to 
close  with  a  rising  impulse. 


Shew! 
Shew! 
Shew! 


*ffl04  SATISFIED  is  used  in 
its  EL.  sense  of  'having  full 
knowledge';  Macbeth  will 
knowfora  certainty  the  whole 
future.  His  imperiousness 
and  uncertain  temper  come 
out  in  "an  eternall  curse  fall 
on  you!"  SF  106  The  sink- 
ing caldron  is  Shakspere's 
wayof  showing  that  the  witch- 
scene  is  such  stuff  as  dreams 
are  made  of.  WHAT,  'what 
kind  of,'  cp.  1-3-39-  NOISE 
in  EL.E.  was  applied  to  music  as  well  as  to  inharmonious  sound,  cp.  "the  isle  is  full  of 
noyses,  Sounds  and  sweet  aires  that  give  delight  and  hurt  not"  Temp.  III. 2. 144.     The 


SECOND  WITCH 


THIRD  WITCH 


ALL 


Shew  his  eyes,  and  greeve  his  hart; 
Come  like  shadowes,  so  depart! 


.UAQ^L- 


155 


&Csl 


t<*c 


/ 


<-cLc 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


HOBOYES  are  behind  the  scenes,  and  the  music  is  of  the  sort  that  accompanies  the  incan- 
tation scenes  in  Middleton's  Witch.  *ff  107  The  triple  SHEW  is  like  the  triple  "haile"  in 
1.3-62  ff.  The  word  is  the  normal  historical  form  ;  'show'  fsclue  to  a  M.E.  change  of  stress 
incidence  in  the  diphthong.  It  is  probably  used  herein  the  sense  of 'let  him  know,'asinII.I.2I. 

The  following  stage  direction  reads  in  FO.  I  "  A  shew  of  eight  kings  and  Banquo  last  with 
a  glasse  in  his  hand."  But  Banquo  is  not  one  of  the  eight  kings,  and  in  v.  119  it  is  the 
eighth  king  and  not  Banquo  who  bears  the  glass.  The  FO.'S  stage  direction  has  been  vari- 
ously emended.  The  Cambridge  text  reads  'A  shew  of  eight  kings,  the  last  with  a  glass 
in  his  hand:  Banquo's  ghost  following.'  But  if  we  punctuate  "  A  shew  of  eight  kings  and 
Banquo:  the  last  with  a  glasse  in  his  hand,"  adding  only  the  definite  article,  the  stage 
direction  becomes  clear.  In  EL.E.  "last"  means  'rearmost,'  N.  E.  D.  I  e,  and  the  error  may 
have  arisen  through  the  FO.  editor  understanding  it  in  the  sense  of  Mast-mentioned'  and 
referring  it  to  Banquo.  Shakspere  follows  the  Macbeth  tradition  of  Holinshed,  connect- 
ing Banquo  with  James  I  of  England:  "But  here  I  thinke  it  shall  not  much  make  against 
my  purpose  if  (according  to  thT order  which  I  find  observed  in  the  Scottish  historic)  I  shall 
in  few  words  rehearse  the  originall  line  of  those  kings  which  have  descended  from  the  fore- 
said Banquo.  .  .  Fleance,  therefore,  (as  before  is  said)  fled  into  Wales,"  and  had  by  the 
daughter  of  the  King  of  Wales  (cp.  note  to  III. 3- 18)  "a  sonne  named  Walter."  The  king 
slew  Fleance.  Fleance's  son,  "falling  out  with  one  of  his  companions"  who  "to  his  re- 
proch  objected  that  he  was  a  bastard,  .  .  ran  upon  him  and  slue  him.  Then  was  he  glad 
to  flee  out  of  Wales,  and  coming  into  Scotland  .  .  within  a  while  was  highly  esteemed  of 
them."  Having  put  down  a  rebellion  in  "the  Westerne  Isles,"  "upon  his  returne  to  court 
he  was  made  lord  steward  of  Scotland."  One  of  his  descendants,  Walter  Steward,  mar- 
ried Marjorie  Bruce,  daughter  to  King  Robert  Bruce,  "by  whom  he  had  issue  King  Robert 
the  Second  of  that  name." 
This  is  the  first  of  the  "eight 
kings";  Robert  III,  his  son, 
was  the  second.  Holinshed 
then  carries  the  line  down 
through  James  I,  James  II, 
James  III,  James  IV,  James  V, 
all  of  Scotland,  to  "Charles 
James,  now  king  of  Scot- 
land," i.e.  James  VI  of  Scot- 
land in  1577  (quoted  from 
Collier's  Holinshed:  the  pas- 
sage is  not  given  in  Boswell- 
Stone).  Slatyer  gives  sub- 
stantially the  same  genealogy. 
SHEW  in  EL.E.  is  the  nor- 
mal word  to  describe  a  pa- 
geant or  procession  like  this, 
and  is  still  retained  in  this 
sense  in  the  'Lord  Mayor's 
Show.'  SF  112  SPIRIT,  a 
monosyllable.  ^113  HAIRE 
is  undoubtedly  the  right  word, 
and  not  'air'  or  'heir,'  as  modern  editors  have  emended.  Shakspere,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered, is  paying  a  compliment  to  the  royal  race  of  James.  Tradition  represents  Robert 
III  as  a  man  of  "goodly  and  comely  personage,"  and  it  is  Robert  III  that  occupies  the 
second  place  in  this  series  if  the  kings  appear  in  chronological  succession,  as  seems  to  be 
intended  from  v.  1 1 9.     If,  on  the  other  hand,  Macbeth  sees  the  present  of  Shakspere's 

156 


ACT  IV 


SCENE  I 


1 12-1 1 


A   SHEW  OF   EIGHT   KINGS   AND   BANQUO: 
THE   LAST   WITH    A   GLASSE   IN    HIS   HAND 

MACBETH 
Thou  art  too  like  the  spirit  of  Banquo ;  down  ! 
Thy  crowne  does  seare  mine  eye-bals.     And 

thy  haire, 
Thou  other  gold-bound-brow,  is  like  the  first. 
A  third  is  like  the  former.     Filthy  hashes! 
Why  do  you  shew  me  this?   A  fourth  !   Start, 

eyes! 
What,  will  the  line  stretch  out  toth'cracke 

of  doome? 
Another  yet!  A  seaventh  !    I  'le  see  no  more: 


r 


^j 


\ 


Ci  u; 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

day  stretching  to  the  past  of  his  own  time,  James  VI  is  the  first  and  the  second  is  James  V, 
of  whose  splendid  hair  Ronsard  wrote : 

"Ce  Roy  D'Escosse  estoit  en  la  fleur  de  ses  ans: 
Ses  cheveux  non  tondus  comme  fin  or  luisans, 
Cordonnez  et  crespez,  flotans  dessus  sa  face 
Et  sur  son  col  de  laict,  luy  donnoit  bonne  grace." 

SF  114  OTHER  often  means  'second'  in  M.E.,  and  seems  to  be  used  in  that  sense  here. 
SF  1 15  FORMER  in  EL. E.  meant  not  only  'preceding'  but  'the  immediately  preceding  one 
in  a  series/  N.E.D.  2  a.  SFII6  A  FOURTH  is  followed  by  an  interrogation-point  in  FO.  I. 
START,  i.e.  start  from  your  spheres,  cp.  Ham.  I.  5. 1 7.  *ff  1 1 7  CRACKE  in  EL.  E.  denoted 
any  loud  noise,  the  blare  of  a  trumpet  as  well  as  the  crash  of  thunder,  N.E.D.  I.  It 
is  probably  the  former  signification  that  gives  us  the  phrase  'crack  of  doom,'  though  the 
latter  may  have  entered  into  it;  for  it  is  the  'judgement  blast' — "Omnes  resurgent  in  mo- 
mento  in  ictu  oculi  in  novissima  tuba'" — rather  than  the  'mighty  earthquake'  that  the  Eng- 
lish mind  has  seized  on  to  suggest  the  Day  of  Judgement.  *1F  1 18  SEAVENTH  shows  an  EL. 
spelling  of  long  open  e  still  retained  in  '  heaven,' '  head,'  etc.    Macbeth's  "  I  'le  see  no  more  " 

is    pathetic   evidence    of    his 

ACT  IV  SCENE  I  1 1 9-1 24     ^T.kt'U" 

And  yet  the  eight  appeares,  who  beares  a      <m9   eight,  "sixt,"  and 
tf  lasse  "  rirt  "  are  tne  M- E- anc* e- N-  E. 

wn   -11  J  t       forms  of  these  ordinals,  which, 

Which  shewes  me  many  more;  and  some  I      since  ghakspere's  day,  have 

see  been  given  their  th  by  anal- 

That  two-fold  balles    and   trebble   scepters     ogy  with 'fourth,'  'seventh,' 

. — - —  r                'ninth,'  etc.     The    GLASSE, 

carry :  as   Steevens  pointed  out,  is^ 

Horrible  sight!      Now,  I   see,  'tis  true;                   a  reference  to  the  magic  mir- 

Fj.\       l  i  °  J  1-    u      t  J  D                         -1                          r°r  which  represented  future 

Or  the  blood-bolter  d  BanquO    smiles   Upon       events,  a  method  of  divination 

me,     tL\h~*-\^  Ch-/~rV*^4  still  practised  on  the  credu- 

And  points  at  them  for  his.  J™5'  CP-  N'E-D- l-  .s^ot'in 

r  his  Discovery- or  Witchcraft, 

APPARITIONS  VANISH       enumerates  the  "regular,  the 

irregular,  the  coloured  and 
cleare  glasses"  (cited  in  N.E.D.) ;  cp.  also  Gifford,  p.  48,  "Is  it  an  angell  from  heaven  or 
the  soule  of  some  man  that  is  dead  which  appeareth  in  the  christall  or  in  the  glasse?"  and 
p.  54,  "There  is  ado  to  get  him  [i.e.  Satan]  into  the  glasse,"  and  p.  58,  "  For  what  though 
the  witch  suppose  it  is  the  soule  of  Moses  which  appeareth  in  the  christall,  is  he  not  there- 
fore a  witch?"  SF  121  BALLES,  i.e.  the  golden  orb  borne  together  with  the  sceptre  as  the 
emblem  of  sovereignty,  N.E.D.  3.  Shakspere's  epithet  TWO-FOLD  seems  to  be  a  refer- 
ence to  the  double  crowning  of  James  at  Scone  and  at  Westminster.  The  TREBBLE 
SCEPTERS,  however,  does  not  necessarily  contain  a  reference  to  the  sovereignty  of  Eng- 
land, Scotland,  and  Ireland.  The  coin  of  James  I  which  celebrates  the  union  bears  the 
inscription  "  Jacobus  CD.  G.  Mag.  'Brit.  Fran.  &  Hib.  ^ex,"  a  style  commemorating  the 
'triple'  kingdom  of  Great  Britain,  France,  and  Ireland  after  it  had  ceased  to  be  a  reality. 
From  these  references  it  has  been  inferred  that  Macbeth  was  written  after  October  24, 1 604  ; 
but  the  lines  might  have  been  inserted  by  Shakspere  at  any  time  out  of  compliment  to 
the  sovereign.  SF  123  BLOOD-BOLTER'D,  'having  hair  matted  with  blood.'  The  normal 
forms  of  the  word  are  "bartered,"  "baultered,"  cp.  N.  E.  D.  s.v.  'baiter' ;   "bolstered"  in 


157 


1 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

'Arden  of  Feversham'  III.  1.73  seems  to  be  the  same  word  incorrectly  spelled.  The  o 
is  probably  a  phonetic  spelling,  and  the  word  in  MN.E.  should  rhyme  with 'falter' ;  'bod- 
kin' and  'bawdkin'  are  similar  doublet  forms  of  the  seventeenth  century.  It  is  not  'a 
Warwickshire  dialect  word  in  Shakspere's  time,'  as  editors  are  fond  of  assuming,  but  occurs 
in  Holland's  Pliny,  1 601,  XII,  xxii,  p.  370  (cited  by  Steevens),  and  in  Phr.  Gen.  "tobaulter 
ones  hair,  complicare  crines" 

(cited  in  N.E.D.)  .HfI24HIS       AqT     jy  SCENE     I  124-132 

is  here  used  in  the  EL.  sense  •* 

of  '  his  descendants,' cp.  note  .  <.vn  .       1   .  -^ 

to  1.6.26.  TWhat,  is  this  so? 

FIRST  WITCH 
TI24    WHAT,  IS  THIS  SO?        j     s{  jj  &fa  fe  SQ       but       i 

down  to  the  stage  direction,         *         *  J 

which  in  its  original  form  was     Stands  Macbeth  thus  amazedly? 
probably   'Witches    vanish'     Come,  sisters,  cheere  we  up  his  spridhts, 

as   in   1.3.78,  is  so   palpably        ,       ,      '  -    7,  „  j.ljL.r     ° 

unShaksperian  that  even  the     And  shew  the  best  of  our  delights: 
consensus  of  modern  editors      I  'le  charme  the  ayre  to  give  a  sound, 
hasadmitteditsspuriousness.     WhU  performe  your  antique  round; 

1  he  rising  tour-wave  rhythm,        "  J         r  J  ~l  ? 

Macbeth's   stupid  question,      That  this  great  king  may  kindly  say, 
the  stress  "Macbeth,"  the  ar-     Our  duties  did  his  welcome  pay. 

tificial  and  mechanical  repre-  *     * 

sentation   of  the   relation  of  MUSICKE 

the  witches  to   Macbeth,  all  THE  WITCHES  DANCE  AND  VANISH f 

point    unmistakably    to     the 

writer  of  III.  5.  SF  126  STANDS, 'stands  still.'  AMAZEDLY, 'in  consternation,' cp.  N.E.D. 
s.v.  and  Mids.  IV.  1. 151.  SF  1 27  SPRIGHTS,  a  common  EL.  form  of  'spirits.'  SF  129 
SOUND  has  in  M.E.  and  EL. E.  the  sense  of  'humming,'  'murmuring,'  'rustling,'  like  the 
'  sound  of  bees,'  the  '  sound  of  waters,'  the  '  sound  of  the  leaves  in  the  wind.'  This  specific 
sense  was  already  merging  into  the  general  one  in  EL.  E.,  but  Shakspere  makes  a  beautiful 
use  of  it,  playing  on  its  identity  of  form  with  "sound,"  'to  swoon,'  and  probably  thinking 
of  the  notion  'sound  of  many  waters,'  associated  with  swooning,  in  Tw.  N.  1. 1.4:  "That 
straine  agen,  it  had  a  dying  fall  [the  EL.  musical  term  for  '  cadence,'  but  suggesting  '  swoon,' 
and  so  leading  to  the  next  figure]  ;  O,  it  came  ore  my  eare  like  the  sweet  sound  [mur- 
mur of  rustling  leaves]  That  breathes  [often  used  of  light,  hovering  winds  in  EL.  E.]  upon 
a  bank  of  violets,  Stealing  and  giving  odour" — a  group  of  associations  whose  beauty  is 
quite  lost  when  the  words  are  read  as  MN.E.  SF  130  ANTIQUE  as  applied  to  EL.  dancing 
is  illustrated  by  a  citation  from  Ascham  in  N.E.D. :  "To  go  on  a  man  his  [i.e.  man's]  tip- 
toes, stretch  out  th'  one  of  his  armes  forwarde,  the  other  backewarde,  which,  if  he  blered 
out  his  tunge  [i.e.  protruded  the  tongue  in  mockery]  also,  myght  be  thought  to  daunce  an- 
ticke  verye  properlye  [is  one  of  the  'pastimes'  unfit  for  scholars]  "  ;  cp.  also  L.L.L.  V.  I. 
119.  In  Ben  Jonson's  Masque  of  Queenes,  p.  171,  the  witches' incantation  closes  thus: 
"At  which,  with  a  strange  and  sudden  musique,  they  fell  into  a  magicall  dance  [in  a  note 
appended  Jonson  cites  classic  authorities  for  these  'antique  rounds']  full  of  praeposterous 
change  and  gesticulation,  but  most  applying  to  their  propertie :  who  at  their  meetings  doe 
all  things  contrary  to  the  custome  of  men,  dancing  backe  to  backe  and  hip  to  hip,  their 
hands  joyned  and  making  their  circles  backward  to  the  left  hand,  with  strange  phantastick 
motions  of  their  heads  and  bodies."  ^  132  PAY,  'reward,'  a  common  EL.  meaning  of  the 
word.     Their  "antique  round"  is  a  return  for  Macbeth's  kindly  welcome. 

IF  133    WHERE  ARE  THEY?  probably  originally  finished  v.  124,  having  been  displaced  by 
'What,isthisso?'  The  verse  division  of  FO.  I  is  Where  .  .  gone,  Let . .  houre,  Stand  . .  kalen- 


158 


L-crva  J) 


CaP 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETJ 

ACT  IV  SCENE  I  133-147 


r 


MACBETH 
Where  are  they?    Gone?    Let  this  pernitious 

houre 
Stand  aye  accursed  in  the  kalender! 
Come  in,  without  there! 

Y     ENTER   LENOX 

LENOX 

What 's  your  graces  will? 
MACBETH 
Saw  you  the  weyard  sisters? 

LENOX 

No,  my  lord. 
MACBETH 
Came  they  not  by  you? 

LENOX 

No,  indeed,  my  lord. 
MACBETH 
Infected  be  the  ayre  whereon  they  ride; 
And  damn'd  all  those  that  trust  them  !     I  did 

heare 
The  gallopping  of  horse:   who  was 't  came 
by? 

LENOX 
1T  is  two  or  three,  my  lord,  that  bring  you 

word 
Macduff  is  fled  to  England. 

MACBETH 

Fled  to  England? 
LENOX 
I,  my  good  lord. 

MACBETH 

ASIDE 

Time,  thou  anticipat'st  my  dread  exploits: 
The  flighty  purpose  never  is  o?re-tooke 
Unlessethe  deed  go  with  it:  from  this  moment 
The  very  firstlings  of  my  heart  shall  be 

159 


der,  Come  .  .  there.  It  is 
possible  that  Let . .  accursed, 
I'  th'  kalender  .  .  there,  were 
intended  for  two  verses.  But 
the  division  of  the  Cambridge 
text  is  here  followed  because 
it  fits  in  with  the  interpolated 
matter.  <1F  133,134  HOURE.. 
ACCURSED:  Shaksperemay 
have  had  in  mind  a  ''dies 
maledictus1  or  ldies  fEgypti- 
cus,1  'on  which  nothing  must 
be  begun,  for  it  will  turn  out 
ill,'  a  day  which  'is  affirmed 
to  lead  the  unwary  to  the 
shades  of  death':  see  Du 
Cange's  Glossarium,s.t>.  dies 
/Egyptici.  SF  134  KALEN- 
DER is  an  EL.  spelling,  prob- 
ably due  to  an  imitation  of  the 
Greek  form  'kalends':  the 
word  itself  is  from  the  O.  FR. 
SF  135  COME  IN,  etc. :  see  in- 
troductory note  to  the  scene. 
SF  139  A  pathetic  anticipa- 
tion of  Macbeth's  own  doom. 
<]F  140  HORSE  is  plural,  cp. 
note  to  II. 4. 14.  SF  144  AN- 
TICIPATE is  still  used  in  the 
sense  of  'prevent,'  'forestall,' 
see  N.  E.  D.  3-  EXPLOIT, 
'act'  or  'deed,'  but  in  EL.E. 
not  necessarilyimplying  skill. 
Shakspere  probably  intended 
also  the  legal  meaning,  'cita- 
tion,' 'summons,'  which  the 
word  had  in  EL.  E., — see 
N.E.  D.  5, —  and  Macbeth  is 
thinking  of  his  citation  of 
Macduff  to  answer  for  his 
'contempt.'  SF  145  FLIGHTY 
means  'fleet,' '  swift,'  N.  E.  D.  I. 
O'RE-TOOKE,  'overtaken,'  a 
common  form  of  the  past  par- 
ticiple. SF  146  THE  DEED, 
'itsexecution,'cp.II.2.33.  GO 
is  probably  used  here  in  its 
sense  of  'start,'  N.E.  D.  22; 
the  figure  is  that  of  two 
runners  making  for  a  goal, 
the  purpose  and  act  together 
'from  the  word  go.'  SF  147 
FIRSTLINGS,    'the    first    of 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


their  kind,'  N.  E.  D.  I.  The 
HEART  was  supposed  to  be 
the  seat  of  the  will  in  EL. 
psychology.  Macbeth  re- 
flects this  psychology  in  II. 
3.  123  when  he*  makes  the 
heart  the  fountain  of  courage. 

SFI49  BE  IT,  probably 'be 't.' 
SFI52  UNFORTUNATE  was 
subject  to  syncopation  in 
EL.  E.,  'unfort'nate,'  the  u 
not  having  developed  to  a 
diphthong.  Such  EL.  spell- 
ings as  "forten"  show  this 
clearly.  *ff  153  TRACE/fol- 
low,'  a  common  meaning  of 
the  word,  cp.  "Can  trace  me 
in  the  tedious  wayes  of  art" 
lHen.4  III.  1.48.  NOBOAST- 
ING  LIKE  A  FOOLE:  EL. 
syntax  by  which  subject  and 


ACT  IV  SCENE  I  148-156 

The  firstlings  of  my  hand.    And  even  now, 
To    crown    my   thoughts    with    acts,    be   it 

thoght  and  done: 
The  castle  of  Macduff  I  will  surprize; 
Seize  upon  Fife ;  give  to  thr  edge  o1  thr  sword 
His  wife,  his  babes,  and  all  unfortunate  soules 
That  trace  him  in  his  line.    No  boasting  like 

a  foole;  -~" 
This  deed  I  'le  do  before  this  purpose  coole. 
But  no  more  sights! 

TO  LENOX 

Where  are  these  gentlemen? 
Come,  bring  me  where  they  are. 

EXEUNT 
predicate  are  implied,  '  I  will 
make,'  etc.,  see  note  to  III. 4.31.  SF  155  SIGHTS  is  a  common  EL.  word  for  'portents/ 
'visions,'  cp.  Cees.1.3. 138  and  ibid.  II. 2.16.  Macbeth  refers  to  Banquo's  ghost  as  a 
"sight"  in  III. 4. 114  and  IV. 1. 122.  Here,  however,  it  has  probably  the  sense  which 
Cooper  gives  it,  "spectaculum,  a  sight,  a  pageant,"  or,  as  Holyoke  glosses,  "a  sight  or 
shew,  spectaculumy  Macbeth  refers  to  the  "  shew  of  eight  kings."  Notwithstanding  this, 
some  modern  editors  will  have  Macbeth  say  'no  more  flights' ;  others,  'no  more  sprights.' 
Macbeth  carries  out  his  determination  to  have  no  more  to  do  with  the  witches,  and  from 
this  point  forth  we  have  a  man  striving  to  free  himself  by  main  force  from  the  entangle- 
ments of  evil  in  which  he  is  involved.  The  vision  of  Banquo's  royal  line  has  cured  him 
of  his  desire  to  penetrate  the  secrets  of  the  future,  though  he  still  believes  in  the  predic- 
tion of  the  witches  and  depends  upon  its  fulfilment.  His  disillusionment,  which  is  con- 
summated in  V.  8. 17,  thus  begins  here. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  II 

Of  the  scene  that  follows  the  dialogue  between  Lady  Macduff  and  her  son,  vv.  30-64,  is 
omitted  in  Davenant's  version  of  the  play,  and  Rosse's  farewell  words,  "  Heaven  protect 
you,"  follow  "to  what  they  were  before,"  v.  25.  The  murder  scene,  vv.  79-85?  is  likewise 
omitted.  Parts  of  these  passages  certainly  do  not  sound  like  Shakspere,who  would  scarcely 
represent  a  childish  prattler  as  asking  his  mother  what  she  would  do  for  a  husband  if 
his  father  were  dead,  and  telling  her  if  she  did  not  weep  for  him  it  would  be  a  good  sign 
that  he  should  quickly  have  a  new  father.  '  Pure  pathos,'  or  no  pathos,  such  a  situation 
is  grotesque  and  could  hardly  have  been  written  by  one  who  imagined  the  scene  between 
Arthur  and  Herbert.  To  construe  the  dialogue  as  an  interlude,  as  was  the  porter  scene 
above,  does  not  help  matters.  The  Rabelaisian  humor  of  the  half-awake,  half-sober 
porter  moralizing  on  the  effect  of  drink  the  morning  after  is  something  quite  different 
from  the  far-fetched  wit  of  Macduff's  son  prattling  to  his  mother  in  the  terms  of  conven- 
tional jests  about  marriage.     The  one  is  redolent  of  humanity — of  a  coarse  sort,  it  is  true, 

160 


^-i . 


i 


Ml 


THE    TRAGEDIE     OF    MACBETH 

but  that  big,  out-of-doors  humanity  that  Shakspere  gives  us  in  Falstaff.  This  latter  smacks 
of  the  drawing-room.  Moreover,  the  murder  of  a  child  in  cold  blood  upon  the  stage  in  broad 
daylight  in  full  sight  of  the  audience  is  hardly  of  a  piece  with  Shakspere's  dramatic  art.  The 
verses  at  the  end  of  Scene  I  seem  to  have  been  written  with  the  purpose  of  making  such 
representation  unnecessary.  To  represent  the  murder  of  Banquo  by  cutthroats  in  the  gloom 
of  a  night  attack  is  an  altogether  different  matter.  To  reject  the  passages,  however,  on  these 
aesthetic  grounds  is,  perhaps,  unwarranted  in  the  lack  of  any  other  evidence  pointing  to 
their  spuriousness.  But  we  must  conclude  that  if  these  passages  were  a  part  of  Macbeth, 
"  dor mitat  Homer -us ," 'and  Davenant's  critical  judgment  which  omittedthem  was  a  sound  one. 


SCENE    II:    FIFE:    MACDUFFES   CASTLE 
ENTER   MACDUFFES   WIFE    HER    SON    AND    ROSSE 


WIFE 
HAT  had  he  done,  to  make  him 
fly  the  land? 

ROSSE 

You  must  have  patience,  madam. 

WIFE 

He  had  none: 
His  flight  was  madnesse:  when  our  actions 

do  not, 
Our  feares  do  make  us  traitors. 
ROSSE 

You  know  not 
Whether  it  was  his  wisedome  or  his  feare. 

WIFE 
Wisedom !   to  leave  his  wife,  to    leave   his 

babes, 
His  mansion  and  his  titles  in  a  place 
From  whence  himselfe  do's  flye?    He  loves 

us  not; 
He  wants  the  naturall  touch :   for  the  poore 

wren, 
The  most  diminitive  of  birds,  will  fight, 
Her  yong  ones  in  her  nest,  against  the  owle. 
All  is  the  feare  and  nothing  is  the  love; 
As  little  is  the  wisedome,  where  the  flight 
So  runnes  against  all  reason. 

1 6 1 


I  — 14 


<ff  4  MAKE, 'represent  to  be,' 
cp.  "make  it  Naturall  re- 
bellion, done  i'th' blade  [i.e. 
'greenness/  'freshness/  N.  E. 
D.  2  b.  The  word  is  altered  in 
modern  editions  to '  blaze.']  of 
youth"  All's  W.  V.  3-  5,  and 
"Your  vertue  is  [i.e.  consists 
in]  To  make  him  worthy, 
whose  offence  subdues  him" 
Cor.I.I.I78.  MN.E. generally 
adds '  out T  to '  make '  when  this 
senseisintended.  SF  6  LEAVE, 
'abandon':  "in"  goes  with 
"place,"  not  with  "leave." 
<lr  7  TITLES  :  Cowel's  defi- 
nition is  "firu/a  est  justa 
causa  possidendi  quod  nos- 
trum est11  (title  is  the  legal 
ground  for  possessing  what 
is  our  own).  The  word  also 
means  '  claim '  in  EL.  E., — cp. 
IV. 3- 34, — and  was  transferred 
to  'the  record  of  claim'  so 
that  it  corresponded  to  MN.  E. 
'title-deed';  cp.  "title;  writ- 
ings or  records  to  prove  one's 
right"  Kersey.  This  is  the 
meaning  here,  and  not  'pos- 
sessions' as  it  is  usually 
explained.  The  citations 
supporting  this  last  meaning 
are  wrongly  interpreted  in 
Schmidt,  as  is  "time  enough 
to  heare  .  .  passages  Of  his 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

true  titles  [i.e.  valid  title-deeds]  to  some  certaine  Dukedomes"  Hen. 5  I.  1. 84.  *ff8 
HIMSELFE,  'he  himself/ cp.  note  to  III.  1.5.  *$  9  NATURALL  TOUCH,  'natural  sym- 
pathy,' 'humanity';  EL.  E.  "touch"  alone  sometimes  corresponds  to  MN.E.  'sympathy,' 
cp.  "Hast  thou  .  .  a  touch,  a  feeling  Of  their  afflictions"  Temp.  V.I.  21,  and  "touch; 
feeling"  Kersey.    Sri 2   ALL, 

'everything,'  cp.  note  to    II.       ACT    jy  SCENE    II 

3-99. 


14-26 


ROSSE 

My  deerest  cooz, 
I  pray  you  schoole  your  selfe:   but  for  your 

husband, 
He  is  noble,  wise,  judicious,  and  best  knowes 
The  fits  o'  th'  season.  I  dare  not  speake  much 

further: 
But  cruell  are  the  times,  when  we  are  traitors 
And  do  not  know  our  selves;  when  we  hold 

rumor 
From  what  we  feare,  yet  know  not  what  we 

feare, 
But  floate  upon  a  wilde  and  violent  sea 
Each  way  and  move.    I  take  my  leave  of  you : 
Shall  not  be  long  but  I  *le  be  heere  againe: 
Things  at  the  worst  will  cease,  or  else  climbe 

upward 
To  what  they  were  before.    My  pretty  cosine, 
Blessing  upon  you! 

icle,   "  [he]    cursed  the  time 

that  ever  he  knewe  Doctor  Barnes,"  and  is  found  also  in  lHen.4  IV. 3. 74,  "He  presently, 
as  greatnesse  knows  it  selfe,  Steps  me  [EL.  ethical  dative]  a  little  higher  then  his  vow." 
As  has  already  been  pointed  out  in  the  note  to  III. 4. 32,  OUR  SELVES  is  sometimes  used 
reciprocally  in  EL. E.,  corresponding  to  MN.E. 'one  another/  This  is  the  simplest  ex- 
planation of  Rosse's  words,  which  vividly  demonstrate  the  effectiveness  of  Macbeth's  es- 
pionage. HOLD  RUMOR:  the  explanations  of  these  words  are  numerous.  That  "hold" 
is  used  in  the  sense  of  'accept,'  'receive,'  'believe  to  be  true'  is  the  commonest  explana- 
tion. But  while  'hold  opinion,'  'hold  belief,'  etc.,  are  idiomatic  locutions  in  English, 
"hold  rumor"  is  not  so  illustrated  in  N.E.D.,  and  "I  finde  the  people  strangely  fantasied, 
Possest  with  rumors,  full  of  idle  dreames,  Not  knowing  what  they  feare,  but  full  of  feare" 
John  IV. 2. 144,  seems  to  be  a  different  idiom.  A  rumour  may 'hold  for  true,'  also,  but  one 
may  not  "hold  rumor."  But,  admitting  this  unusual  locution,  it  fits  but  illy  with  "from 
what  we  feare."  HOLD  FROM  in  EL.  E.  means  'restrain,'  cp.  "so  they  would  hold  their 
fingers  from  him,"  cited  in  N.  E.  D.  s.v.  1 1 ,  and  MN.E.'  hold  your  noise.'  We  have  already 
had  this  meaning  in  III. 2. 54.  ^20  FEARE  may  mean  'fear  is  true,'  'fear  is  the  case,'  cp. 
"  See  what  a  ready  tongue  suspition  hath  :  He  that  but  feares  the  thing  he  would  not  know 
Hath  by  instinct  knowledge  from  other's  eyes  That  what  he  fear'd  is  chanc'd"  2 Hen. 4 

162 


*lrI4  COOZ:  in  this  abbre- 
viated form  of  'cousin,'  'coz- 
en,' the  vowel  u  in  EL.  E.  was 
evidently  not  yet  shortened  to 
d  as  in  MN.  E.,  hence  the  spell- 
ing (oo=u).  *1FI5  SCHOOLE 
YOUR  SELFE  in  MN.E.  usu- 
ally takes  a  complement,  'to.' 
It  was  used  absolutely  in 
EL. E.  and  meant  'find  fault 
with,'  'reprove,'  cp.  "Well,  I 
am  school'd"  I  Hen. 4  III.  I. 
190.  The  stress  is  on  "your 
selfe,"  'find  fault  with  your- 
self, not  with  your  hus- 
band.' FOR:  the  correspond- 
ing MN.E.  idiom  is  'as  for 
your  husband.'  Sri  7  FITS, 
cp.  note  to  III.  2. 22.  A  simi- 
lar expression  occurs  in  Cor. 
III. 2. 33,  "The  violent  fit  o' 
th'time."  SF  19  KNOW  OUR 
SELVES,  'become  acquainted 
with  one  another' ;  this  obso- 
lete sense  of  "know"  is  illus- 
trated in  N.E.D.  s.v.  6  by  a 
citation  from  Halle's  Chron- 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

1. 1.84.  We  thus  get  from  Rosse's  words  a  picture  of  loyal  but  unavailing  efforts  to  keep 
rumour  still  in  regard  to  the  murders  of  Duncan  and  Banquo.  His  thought  passes  into  a 
general  expression  of  uncertainty:  'they  float  rudderless,  tossed  on  a  violent  sea.'  <lr2I 
FLOATE  is  obsolete  in  this  sense  of  moving  to  and  fro,  cp.  uLet  the  instrument  rest  until 
the  water  has  done  floating"  James,  cited  in  N.  E.  D.  4.  IF  22  EACH  WAY  AND  MOVE  : 
Davenant  could  make  nothing  of  these  words,  writing  in  their  stead  '  Each  way  and  more, 
I  take  my  leave  of  you.'  Nor  have  later  editors  been  more  successful.  The  emendations 
are  numerous:  'Each  way,  and  move' Johnson,  'And  move  each  way'  Capell,  'And 
each  way  move'  Steevens,  etc.,  'Which  way  we  move'  Ingleby,  'Each  sway  and  move' 
Staunton,  'Each  way  and  none'  CI.  Pr., etc.,  etc. — quot  homines  tot  sententice.  But  all 
these  editors  have  ignored  the  fact  that  "move"  in  EL. E.  means  'to  toss,'  or,  when  used 
in  a  reflexive  sense, 'to  toss  (one's  self)':  we  have  Cooper  glossing  ago  "to  move  or 
wagge"  ;  jactare,  "to  move  or  wagge"  ;  "assiliunt  imi  fluctus  e  gurgite  ponti,  the  waves 
were  moved  high  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea"  ;  "  J  una  freta  torquet,  Juno  moves  or  tosses 
the  seas"  ;  so  "the  floods  being  greatly  moved  make  a  hideous  noise"  ;  and  Coles,  "moved 
(tossed),  exagitat us" ;  Holyoke,  "to  move  or  wag,  jacto11 ;  "Jacto,  to  throw  often,  to 
throw,  cast,  wag,  shake,  or  move."  Cooper's  gloss  "Jactare  se,  to  bestirre  himselfe  and 
move  now  this  way  now  that  way"  illustrates  the  reflexive  sense  of  the  word;  cp.,  too, 
"  in  toto  corpus  jactare  cubili,  to  tosse  and  remoove  often  to  and  fro  in  his  bedde."    So,  too, 

Florio    in   translating    Mon- 

APT    TV  QfFMF    II  97-30      taigne'  L4'  "So   seemes   ft 

aui    iv  doniNc  ii  2/-^u    that  the  soule>  moved  and 

tossed,  if  she  have  not  some 

WIFE  hold  to  take   loseth   itself." 

Fathered  he  is,  and  yet  hee  *s  father-lesse.        There  can  be  little  doubt, 

__  therefore,    that    "move"    in 

^  Shakspere's    verses    means 

I  am  so  much  a  foole,  should  I  stay  longer,  'are  tossed  about," tossed  to 
It  would  be  my  disgrace  and  your  discomfort :     and  [ro(  and  that  u  is  Just  the 

i  word   the   context    requires. 

I   take  my  leave  at  Once.  EACH  WAY  means  'in  every 

EXIT  ROSSE  direction,'  for  'each'  often 
means  'every'  in  M.E.  and 
e.N.E. ;  cp.  "I  go  beyond  each  other  night"  Heywood's  Thyestes,  Sp.  Soc,  I,  p.  74; 
so  "each  where"  corresponds  to  'everywhere'  in  Newton's  Thebais,  Sp.  Soc,  I,  p.  1 10. 
Shakspere's  words  as  they  stand  in  FO.  I  may  therefore  mean  'float  every  way,  and  toss 
to  and  fro.'  There  is  a  post-positive  use  of  AND  in  M.  E.  and  e.N.  E.  which  is  so  awkward 
to  modern  ears  that  dictionary  readers  assume  it  to  be  a  mistake  and  do  not  note  it.  A 
good  M.E.  instance  is  found  in  the  Prohemium  to  a  version  of  '  Palladius  de  re  rustica,' 
written  about  1440,  "So  sende  he  me  sense  and  science  Of  my  balade  away  to  rade  [i.e. 
erase]  errour,  Pallade  and  do  [i.e.  translate  Palladius]  to  glad  his  excellence."  An  e.N.E. 
instance  occurs  in  Drayton, "  For  twenty  years  and  have  I  serv'd  in  Fraunce  .  .  and  have 
I  seene  Vernoylas  batfull  fields  .  .  through  all  my  life  these  perills  have  I  passed,  and  now 
to  feare  a  banishment  at  last?"  Heroicall  Epistles,  Sp.  Soc,  p.  288.  But  this  idiom  is 
perhaps  too  infrequent  to  assume  it  here.  Another  possibility  is  that  "each  way  and 
move"  was  an  after  insertion  written  in  the  margin,  with  a  caret  in  the  text  pointing  it  to 
a  place  before  "upon  .  .  sea,"  but  by  mistake  inserted  after  it.  Such  displacements  are 
not  infrequent  in  MSS.  "  But  floate  upon  a  wilde  and  violent  sea"  if  expanded  to  "  But 
floate  each  way  and  move  ['toss']  upon  a  wilde  and  violent  sea.  I  take  my  leave  of  you" 
makes  clear  sense  and  good  rhythm.  ^23  SHALL:  the  omission  of  the  subject  when 
it  can  be  supplied  from  the  context  is  a  common  idiom  of  M.E.  and  e.N.E.  frequently 
occurring  in  EL. E.,  cp.  "Then  as  carefull  he  was  what  to  doo  himselfe :  at  length  [sc.  he] 
determined  never  to  leave  seeking  him"  Sidney's  Arcadia,  Sommer  repr.,  p.  41,  and  "And 

163 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


thereto  [sc.  I]  will  not  disagree  in  nothing  that  you  say  But  [sc.  I]  will  content  your 
mind  truely  in  all  things  that  I  may"  '  Handefull  of  Pleasant  Delites'  p.  5.  BUT  I  'LE  BE, 
1  until  I  will  be.'  Rosse,  of  course,  is  leaving  to  join  the  rebels.  *IF  24  THINGS  AT  THE 
WORST,  etc.,  seems  to  have 

ACT  IV  SCENE  II 


been  a  proverbial  sayingbased 
upon  the  notion  of  fortune's 
revolving  wheel  so  common 
in  mediaeval  literature,  cp. 
"When  bale  is  hext  boote  is 
next,"  i.e.  when  misfortune  is 
highest  remedy  is  nighest, 
Heywood,  Sp.  Soc,  p.  170. 
SF  29  DISCOMFORT  seems 
here  to  have  its  EL.  meaning 
of  'undoing'  as  well  as  'in- 
convenience.* 

SF  30  SIRRA  was  used  in 
speaking  to  young  people 
as  well  as  to  inferiors,  cp. 
u  But,  sirrah,  what  said  he  to 
it"  Wellbred  to  Knowell  in 
'  Every  Man  in  his  Humour' 
III.  I.  SF  32  WITH, 'by  means 
of ,"  on,'  cp. "  I  live  with  bread" 
Rich.2  III. 2. 175.  FLYES  in 
EL.  E.  is  used  of  all  winged 
insects  and  is  not  restricted 
to  the  family  cMuscidce,  cp. 
N.  E.D.I.  <lr35  PITFALL, 
GIN:  cp.  "the  fowler  .  . 
entangleth  them  [i.e.  "little 
birds"]  with  lime  twigs  which 
he  sets  forth  on  a  pole  or 
perch,  or  snareth  them  in  the 
noozes  of  a  springe,  a  pitfall, 
or  gins"  Comenius's  Janua, 
cap.  39-  Minsheu  describes 
a  pitfall  thus:  "esr  fouea  in 
quam  dicidunt  aues  ancipiter 
impendentis  inescato  ligno." 
A  GIN  is  any  sort  of  trap  in 
EL.  E.  SF  36  The  stress  falls, 
of  course,  on  POORE  as  men- 
tally contrasted  with  'rich,' 
the  verse  having  an  extra  syl- 
lable before  the  caesura.  De- 
lius  takes  THEY  as  the  re- 
peated pronominal  subject  so 
common     in     EL.  E.,     'Poor 


30-43 

WIFE 
Sirra,  your  father's  dead: 
And  what  will  you  do  now?    How  will  you 
live? 

SON 
As  birds  do,  mother. 

WIFE 
What,  with  wormes  and  flyes? 
SON 
With  what  I  get,  I  meane;  and  so  do  they. 

WIFE 
Poore  bird!   Thou 'dst  never  feare  the  net 

nor  lime, 
The  pitfall  nor  the  gin. 

SON 
Why  should  I, mother?  Poore  birds  they  are 

not  set  for. 
My  father  is  not  dead,  for  all  your  saying. 

WIFE 
fYes,  he  is  dead:  how  wilt  thou  do  for  a 
father? 

SON 
Nay,  how  will  you  do  for  a  husband? 

WIFE 
Why,  I  can  buy  me  twenty  at  any  market. 

SON 
Then  you  '1  by  'em  to  sell  againe.f 

WIFE 
Thou   speak'st   withall   thy  wit;    and    yet, 

i'  faith 
With  wit  enough  for  thee. 


birds   are   not   trapped,' — to 

SET  in  EL.  E.  may  mean 'to  catch  birds  in  a  net,'  see  Cent.  Diet.  II. 7, —but  to  take  "they" 

as  referring  to  pitfalls  and  gins  gives  a  simpler  sense.    SF  38,  39,  40,  41    The  fact  that  these 

164 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  IV 


SCENE  II 


44-64 


f  SON 
Was  my  father  a  traitor,  mother? 

WIFE 
I,  that  he  was. 

SON 
What  is  a  traitor? 

WIFE 
Why,  one  that  sweares  and  lyes. 

SON 
And  be  all  traitors  that  do  so? 

WIFE 
Every  one  that  does  so  is  a  traitor,  and  must 
be  hang'd. 

SON 
And  must  they  all  be  hang'd  that  swear  and 
lye? 

WIFE 
Every  one. 

SON 
Who  must  hans*  them? 

WIFE 
Why,  the  honest  men. 

SON 
Then  the  liars  and  swearers  are  fools,  for 
there  are  lyars  and  swearers  enow  to  beate 
the  honest  men  and  hang  up  them. 

WIFE 
Now,  God  helpe  thee,  poore  monkie!     But 
how  wilt  thou  do  for  a  father? 

SON 
If  he  were  dead,  you'ld  weepe  for  him:   if 
you  would  not,  it  were  a  good  signe  that  I 
should  quickely  have  a  new  father. 

WIFE 
Poore  pratler,  how  thou  talk'stif 

165 


lines  are  in  prose  and  vv.42, 
43  blank  verse  again,  followed 
by  prose  as  far  as  v.  64,  may 
be  construed  as  evidence  that 
only  the  blank  verse  of  this 
passage  is  Shakspere's,  Lady 
Macduff's  words  in  vv.42, 
43  having  originally  followed 
after  v.  37  and  closed  the  dia- 
logue. Such  a  conception  of 
the  passage  as  the  omission 
of  its  prose  parts  would  give 
us  adds  pathos  to  the  murder 
of  Macduff's  lady  and  her 
son — the  wren  and  her  young 
one  in  the  nest — and  yet 
does  not  conflict  with  Shak- 
spere's known  method  of 
treatment.  The  action  loses 
nothing  by  the  excision,  and 
the  interest  gains  enormously, 
for  nothing  so  mars  a  work 
of  art  as  the  inhuman  touch, 
and  nothing  so  clearly  ex- 
hibits lack  of  humanity  as  dis- 
tortion in  the  representation 
of  childhood.  It  41  SELL 
seems  to  have  had  a  punning 
sense  of  'deceive,'  'betray,' 
cp.  uSom.  Whether  were  you 
sent?  Lucy.  Whether  my  lord? 
from  bought  and  sold  Lord 
Talbot"lHen.6lV.4.I2.  <ff  42 
WIT,  'understanding,'  'intel- 
ligence,' cp.  "With  all  my 
wits"  Hen.5  V.2.25. 

<IF47  SWEARES  and  LYES 
are  used  in  their  EL.  senses 
of '  swears  allegiance '  and '  be- 
trays,' cp.  "  I  'le  sweare  my 
selfethy  subject"  Temp.  1 1. 2. 
156.  SF48  BE:  this  l.M.E. 
form  of  the  third  person  plural 
indicative  of  the  substantive 
verb  was  of  common  occur- 
rence in  e.N.E.,  and  not  re- 
stricted to  poetic  or  archaic 
forms  of  expression  as  it  is 
now.  SF  57  ENOW,  plural  of 
'enough,'  cp.  v.  43-  IF  58 
HANG  UP  THEM  :  in  MN.E. 
the  adverb  usually  follows  the 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


pronominal  object  in  such  construction:  in  EL. E.  it  may  follow  the  verb,  cp.  "they  all 
lockup  themselves  a  'late"  Jonson,'Sejanus,'  1640,  p.  335,  and  "Go  thou  to  Juliet,  helpe  to 
decke  up  her"  Rom.&Jul.  IV.2.4I.  SF  59  MONKIE  is  still  a  term  of  endearment  applied 
to  children.     u  Pug,"  another 

S^t^SfX^     ACT  IV  SCENE  II  65-79 


ENTER   A   MESSENGER 

MESSENGER 
Blesse  you,  faire   dame!    I   am  not  to  you 

known, 
Though  in  your  state  of  honor  I  am  perfect. 
I    doubt    some   danger  does   approach    you 

neerely : 
If  you  will  take  a  homely  man's  advice, 
Be  not  found  heere;   hence,  with  your  little 

ones. 
To  fright  you  thus,  me  thinkes,  I   am  too 

savage ; 
To  do  worse  to  you  were  fell  cruelty, 
Which  is  too  nie  your  person.     Heaven  pre- 


serve you 


The  MESSENGER  is  a  dra- 
matic device  to  represent 
Macbeth's  murderous  net 
closing  around  Lady  Mac- 
duff. <ff  66  STATE  OF 
HONOR,  'rank';  "estate" 
and  "state"  are  practically 
the  same  words  in  EL.  E. : 
Cooper,  Thomas,  and  Holy- 
oke  all  gloss  gradus  as  "a 
degree  or  estate  of  honor." 
PERFECT,  'familiar  with,' 
cp.  note  to  1.5-2,  and  "that 
pretty  Welsh  . .  I  am  too  per- 
fect in"  I  Hen.4  III.  1. 201, and 
"I  am  perfit  [another  form  of 
the  word]  In  theis  notes  you 
gave  mee"  Massinger's  Be- 
lieve as  you  List,  1. 1.  SF  67 
DOUBT,  'fear,'  a  common 
EL.  sense  of  "doubt,"  cp. 
N.  E.  D.  5-  SF68  HOMELY, 
'simple,'  'plain,'  'humble,' 
N.E.D.  4  b.  SF69  LITTLE 
ONES:  Rosse  in  IV. 3- 204 
as  well  as  Macbeth  in  IV. 
I.  152  speaks  of  Macduff's 
"babes,"  which  is  slightly  in- 
consistent with  the  part '  of 
this  scene  which  represents 
only  the  murder  of  Lady 
Macduff's  son.  SF  70  TO 
FRIGHT,  'in  frightening,' the 
EL.  use  of  the  infinitive  where 
MN.  E.  requires  the  participial 
phrase.  ME  THINKES  originally  in  M.E.  means  'it  seems  to  me.'  SAVAGE,  'brutal,'  a 
prominent  meaning  of  the  word  in  e.  N.E.,cp."  those  pampred  animalls  That  rage  in  savage 
sensualitie"  Ado  IV.  1. 61.  SF  7 1  TO  DO  WORSE,  etc.,  i.e.  to  do  more  than  frighten. 
FELL  is  a  stronger  word  in  EL.  E.  than  now,  and  means  '  savage,' '  murderous,'  cp.  N.E.D.  I . 
*ff  73  WHETHER  is  a  M.E.  form  of  'whither'  not  yet  obsolete  in  Shakspere's  time,  cp. 
"Whether  in  this  sense  [i.e.  to  what  place]  is  most  usually  written  'whither.'  But  that 
distinction  in  writing  and  printing  is  net  always  strictly  observed.  .  .  Mr.  Butler  writes  it 
'whether'  for  'whither,'  and  so  'hether,'  'thether,'"  etc.,  etc.,  Phr. Gen.  The  word  has  a 
contracted  form  "wher"  in  EL.E.,  but  it  is  not  necessary  to  assume  it  here,  for  six-wave 
verses  such  as  this  are  common  in  Shakspere.  SHOULD  I,  'am  I  to,' a  common  e.  N.E. 
sense  of  the  auxiliary.     In  the  face  of  danger  the  first  thought  that  naturally  occurs  to 

166 


I  dare  abide  no  longer. 

EXIT  MESSENGER 

WIFE 
Whether  should  I  flye? 
I  have  done  no  harme.     But  I  remember  now 
I  am  in  this  earthly  world ;  where  to  do  harme 
Is  often  laudable,  to  do  good  sometime 
Accounted  dangerous  folly:  why  then,  alas! 
Do  I  put  up  that  womanly  defence, 
To  say  I  have  done  no  harme? 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


Lady  Macduff  is  her  helplessness — she  has  no  refuge  ;  then  she  asks  herself,  'Why  should 
I  try  to  escape?  I  have  done  no  harm' — a  perfectly  normal  succession  of  ideas.  But  even 
if  'the  context  requires  why/  as  some  modern  editors  think,  no  alteration  is  necessary, 
since  "whether"  may  introduce  a  simple  question  in  EL.  E.,  cp.  "Whether  will  ye  allowe 
him  to  protecte,  to  safe-conducte  and  to  have  marshall  lawe  as  they  are  accustomed?" 
Spenser's  State  of  Ireland  (cited  in  Cent.  Diet.).  Lady  Macduff's  words  can  therefore 
mean  'And  am  I  to  fly?'  if  the  reader  wishes  to  put  that  sense  on  them.  It  is  likely  that 
the  only  difference  between  the  two  phrases  was  one  of  stress.  SF  74  The  contracted 
form  '  I  've '  is  probably  intended  here  and  in  v.  79r  and  'I'm'  in  v.  75  ;  both  were  common 
in  EL.  E.  as  in  MN.E.  *1F  76  LAUDABLE  seems  to  be  syncopated  to  'laud'ble'  here  (cp. 
note  to  III. 2. 48),  for  GOOD  requires  sentence  stress  from  its  contrast  to  HARME.  SOME- 
TIME, cp.  1.6.  II.  «1F  77  DANGEROUS,  'dang'rous';  the  word  recalls  the  tone  of  Ham. 
III.  1.69  ff-  and  of  Sonn.  LXVI.  SF  78  WOMANLY  and  'manly'  now  connote  spiritual 
rather  than  physical  qualities;  but  Chaucer  uses  "manly"  in  the  sense  of  'strong,'  'of 
fine  physique,'  and  Shakspere  here  evidently  is  thinking  of  the  weakness  of  Lady  Mac- 
duff's defence.     Coles  glosses   'womanish,  womanly'  by  "muliebris,  mollis" ;  cp.,  also, 

"nor  the  Queene  of  Ptolemy 

SCENE  II  79-85 


ACT  IV 

What  are  these  faces? 

ENTER   MURTHERERS 

MURTHERER 
Where  is  your  husband? 
WIFE 
I  hope,  in  no  place  so  unsanctified 
Where  such  as  thou  may'st  finde  him. 
MURTHERER 

He  Ts  a  traitor. 
SON 
Thou  ly'st,  thou  shagge-ear'd  villaine! 
MURTHERER 

What,  you  egge! 
Yong  fry  of  treachery! 

STABBING    HIM 

SON 
He  has  kill'd  me,  mother: 
Run  away,  I  pray  you! 

DIES.      EXIT   LADY   MACDUFF  CRYING    MURTHER 

EXEUNT   MURTHERERS 


More  womanly  then  he" 
Ant.&Cl.  1.4.6.  <ff  79  TO 
SAY,  'of  saying,'  cp.  note  to 
v.  70,  above. 


The  FACES  are  probably 
those  of  Macbeth's  troops 
who  have  surprised  the  castle. 
It  is  probable  that  the  scene 
when  it  left  Shakspere's  hands 
ended  here  with  the  EXIT 
CRYING  MURTHER,the  hor- 
rors of  the  carnage  being  left 
to  the  imagination.  <lr8I 
UNSANCTIFIED  seems  to 
mean  'without  sanctuary,' 
'violable,"  unprotected.'  *IF82 
WHERE  :  the  EL.  relative  ad- 
verb is  often  equivalent  to  a 
MN.E.  relative  phrase,  e.g. 
"that  people  where  [i.e. 
among  whom]  God  shall  or- 
daine  this  ark  to  come  to 
land"  Bacon,  'Atlantis'  13, 
1 7  (Moore-Smith).  By  exten- 
sion of  this  usage  "where" 
comes  to  be  a  correlative  of 
SO  in  the  sense  of  'that  .  .  in 
it,'  cp.  "honour  travels  in  a 
straight  so  narrow  Where  one 
but  goes  a  breast  [i.e.  so 
SUCH  AS  THOU  MAY'ST, 
SF  83   LY'ST,  a  monosylla- 


narrow  that  in  it  only  one  goes  abreast]  "  Tro.&Cr.  III.  3. 1 54. 

'it  is  possible  for  such  as  thou  to,'  cp.  note  to  III.  1. 122. 

ble  in  e.N.E.,  cp.  III.2.54.     SHAGGE-EAR'D, 'shaggy-eared,'  '  rough  -eared' ;  the  epithet 

seems  meaningless:   but  'shag-haired'  is  a  common  word  in  EL. E.  (cp.  "shag  haired, 

villosus"  Phr.  Gen.,  "shag-haire,  pelado"   Percival)  and  occurs  in  2Hen.6  III. 1. 367  in  a 


167 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

connection  similar  to  this,  "a  shag-hayr'd  craftie  kerne/'  "Heare"  is  a  common  six- 
teenth-century spelling  of  'hair';  e.g.,  in  Ven.&Ad.  1 9 1 T  QO.  1593,  we  have  "heares"  for 
'haires.'  u  Ear'd"  may  therefore  be  an  error  for  'hear'd'  as  some  editors  suppose.  Again, 
"flag-eared"  is  a  common  EL.  word  meaning  Mop-eared.'  Thomas,  1620,  glosses  flaccidce 
aures  as  "loosly  flagging  ears,"  and  Percival,  ed.  1 605,  has  " flag-eared"  as  a  gloss  for  en- 
capotado  de  orejas.  Comenius  says  a  "loll  ear'd"  person  is  one  "whose  eares  hang 
flagging  downe."  //  and  sh  are  single  types  in  EL.  printing,  and  one  is  liable  to  be  mis- 
printed for  the  other:  "flagge  ear'd"  may  therefore  have  been  intended;  cp.  also  "flap- 
eared  knave"  in  Tarn.  IV.  1. 1 60.  But  it  is  perhaps  wise  to  retain  the  reading  of  FO.  I 
even  though  "  shagge-ear'd"  is  a  difficult  epithet  to  understand.  EGGE  is  a  term  of  con- 
tempt for  a  puny  person,  cp.  "Finch  egge"  Tro.&Cr.  V.  1.40.  <Ir84  FRY  is  now  obso- 
lete in  the  sense  of  'offspring,'  cp.  N.  E.D.I.  EXIT:  FO.  I  omits  'Lady  Macduff  and 
4 exeunt  murtherers.' 

INTRODUCTORY    NOTE   TO    SCENE    III 

Scene  III,  like  Scene  IV  at  the  end  of  Act  II  and  Scene  VI  at  the  end  of  Act  III,  serves 
the  purpose  of  a  chorus  intervening  between  Acts  IV  and  V,  its  subject-matter  being  not 
so  much  res  acta  as  res  transacta — not  dramatic,  but  historical.  There  is  interjected  an 
episode  from  Holinshed  to  sharpen  the  personalities  of  Macduff  and  Malcolm,  and  the 
arrival  of  Rosse  bringing  news  of  the  action  in  Act  IV  furnishes  the  "messenger"  to  link 
it  with  what  follows.  As  a  chorus  the  scene  has  a  double  character,  serving  as  epilogue 
to  Act  IV,  "each  new  morne  New  widdowes  howle,"  etc.,  and  as  prologue  to  Act  V, 
"Macbeth  Is  ripe  for  shaking  and  the  powres  above  Put  on  their  instruments." 


SCENE   III:    ENGLAND:    BEFORE   THE    KING'S    PALACE 
ENTER    MALCOLME   AND    MACDUFFE 


1-8 


Shakspere  in  representing 
Malcolm's  test  of  Macduff's 
loyalty  follows  Holinshed: 
"yet  doubting  whether  he 
[i.e.  Macduff]  were  come  as 
one  that  ment  unfeinedlie 
as  he  spake,  or  else  as  sent 
from  Macbeth  to  betraie  him, 
he  thought  to  have  some  fur- 
ther triall."  SF  I  DESOLATE, 
'des'late.'  ^  2  BOSOMES, 
'hearts':  the  bosom  was 
thought  of  as  the  seat  of  the 
emotionsinEL.E.,sothatsuch 
a  notion  as  "sad  bosome" 
corresponded  to  MN.E.  'sad 
heart.'  SF  3  MORTALL,'death- 
dealing,'  cp.  "should  by  my 
mortall  sword  Be  drained" 
Tro.&Cr.  IV.  5.  134.      GOOD 


MALCOLME 
ET  us  seeke  out  some  desolate 

shade,  and  there 
Weepe  our  sad  bosomes  empty. 

MACDUFFE 

Let  us  rather 
Hold  fast  the  mortall  sword,  and  like  good 

men 
Bestride  our  downfall  birthdome:  each  new 

morne 
New  widdowes  howle,  new  orphans  cry,  new 

sorowes 
Strike  heaven  on  the  face,  that  it  resounds 
As  if  it  felt  with  Scotland  and  yelFd  out 
Like  syllable  of  dolour. 

168 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

MEN,  'brave  men,'  cp.  note  to  1.2.4.  *ff  4  BESTRIDE  in  EL.E.  means  'defend/  N.E.D. 
2  c,  an  association  traceable  to  such  a  use  of  the  word  as  occurs  in  "a  Romaine  souldier 
being  thrown  to  the  ground  even  harde  by  him,  Martius  straight  bestrod  him  and  slew  the 
enemie"  North's  Plutarch,  1595,  p.  236.  The  same  notion  occurs  also  in  2Hen.4  1. 1.207, 
"Tels  them  he  doth  bestride  a  bleeding  land."  DOWNFALL  seems  to  be  an  EL.  form  of 
the  participle  without  -n  rather  than  a  misprint,  cp.  the  American  'forgotten'  beside  the 
English  'forgot.'  In  Skelton,  'Against  the  Scottes'  v.  610,  the  same  form  occurs,  "Now 
is  your  pride  fall  to  decay,"  and  Stowe's  Annales,  1615,  p.  872,  has  "well-growe  woods." 
BIRTHDOME,  'land  of  our  birth,'  cp.  the  quotation  from  2 Hen. 4,  above.  The  suffix  -dom 
has  a  wider  range  of  usage  in  EL.E.  than  in  MN.E.,  cp.  "the  matter  is  verified  too  much 
of  the  Popedom"  Golding's  Calvin's  Sermons,  and  see  1.5.  71  of  this  play.  "Birth- 
hood,"  'native  country,'  is  likewise  good  EL.E.  <ff  5  HOWLE,  like  YELL  in  v. 7,  had  not 
in  EL.E.  the  sense  of  depreciation  which  we  attach  to  the  words,  see  N.E.D.  s.v.  and  note 
to  1.7.78.     SF6    THAT,  'so  that,'  as  in  1.2.58.      SF8    The  appropriateness  of  SYLLABLE 

is,  of  course,  dependant  on  the 

ACT    IV  SCENE    III  8-17      £otion  of  *n  ^ho  suggested 

by  v.  o. 

MALCOLME  <ff8    WAILE,    'bewail,'    cp. 

What  I  beleeve  I  'le  waile,     "TM  fond,[l'-c-  fo,olis£l  to 

,vn         .  ,     ,  i      i         t  1  wane  inevitable  strokes    Lor. 

What  know,  beleeve,  and  what  1  can  redresse,  iV.  i.  26.  Malcolm  affects 
As  I  shall  finde  the  time  to  friend,  I  wil.  to  believe  Macduff's  state- 

Y¥7i_  L  1        •*.  i_  i-  ment  an  exaggeration.     SF  10 

What  you  have  spoke,  it  may  be  so,  perchance.  TO  FRIEND°°is  a  M.B.  and 
This  tyrant,  whose  sole  name  blisters  our     e.N.E.  phrase  meaning  'fa- 

tondues  vourable,'  see    N.  E.  D.  6  b. 

,YT        o         '    ,  ,.       .  ,  ,       .  .        HF 1 1    SPOKE,  'spoken,' like 

Was  once  thought  honest:   you  have  iov  d     "downfall,"  above,    it:  the 

him  well.  repetition  of  the  subject  by  a 

Hi      .1  i   t  i  t  r         pronoun    is   a   common    EL. 

e  hath  not  touch  d  you  yet.     I   am  yong;      ?diom  stiU  preserved  in  vul. 

but  something  gar    and   colloquial    English. 

You  may  discerne  of  him  through  me,  and      T12,    sciL5\<m,erf*'     T,he 

/  °  rhythm  or  Malcolm  s  words, 

wisedome  f"  x  ""  ||  '*  "  ',  iS  full  of 

To  offer  up  a  weake,  poore,  innocent  lambe     bitterness.    <ff  14  touch'd, 

T"  "5?        r    J  'injured,'asinIII.2.26.    SF  1 5 

T    appease  an  angry  God.  Modern  editors  accept  Theo- 

bald's  emendation  of  'de- 
serve'for  DISCERNE,  and  the  Cambridge  text  changes  FO.  I's  comma  after  ME  to  a 
semicolon,  evidently  construing  AND  WISEDOME  as  a  sentence  without  subject  and  predi- 
cate :  but  "and"  makes  such  an  interpretation  difficult,  for  it  connects  "wisedome"  with 
the  preceding  verb.  'Deserve'  for  "discerne"  makes  nonsense  out  of  the  latter  part  of 
the  passage:  I  AM  YONG,  which  is  in  contrast  to  the  thought  which  BUT  introduces,  is 
meaningless  with  '  But  you  deserve  something  through  me.'  The  normal  contrast  with 
Malcolm's  youth  and  innocency  would  be  a  characteristic  of  age  and  experience;  this  we 
have  if  we  take  "discerne"  in  its  EL.  sense  'to  learn  by  discernment,'  N.E.D.  4:  the 
word  in  this  sense  lTusualfy  followed  by  "of,"  "to  discerne  of  truth."  THROUGH  ME, 
i.e.  by  my  sad  experience.  '  I  am  young,  but  still  able  to  teach  you  what  sort  of  a  man 
Macbeth  is.'  AND  WISEDOME  is  connected  with  "something"  by  one  of  those  EL. 
zeugmatic  constructions  such  as  are  found  in  1.5.22  and  III.  1. 122.  Malcolm's  words 
are  thus  'You  may  perceive  what  sort  of  a  man  Macbeth  is  from  my  experience,  and  learn 

169 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


from  me  the  wisdom  of  offering  up/  etc.  Besides  the  alteration  of  the  punctuation  in  the 
Cambridge  text,  AND  WISEDOME  has  been  emended  by  "t  is  wisdom,'  'wisdom  't  were/ 
etc.,  and  CI.  Pr.  suggests  that  a  whole  line  has  dropped  out.  But  we  have  already  had 
this  syntax  twice  in  Macbeth,  with  the  usual  crop  of  emendations  and  assumptions  of 
corruptness  in  each  instance,  and  we  shall  have  it  again  in  V.2.4,  where  the  text  again 
makes  difficulty   when    read 

^•™,r°CENT'     ACT  IV  SCENE  III  .8-31 


IF  1 8  The  stress  falls  upon 
I;  either  TREACHEROUS  is 
syncopated  and  the  com- 
pleted verse  has  only  four 
waves,  or  the  indignation  and 
surprise  of  Macduff  at  Mal- 
colm's implication  force  a 
pause  after  "treacherous." 
The  strong  cassura  caused  by 
such  a  pause  often  takes  the 
place  of  an  unstressed  im- 
pulse in  EL.  verse.  SF  19 
RECOYLE, '  give  way/  'break 
down';  Cotgrave  glosses 
"retrograder"  by  "to  re- 
coile."  Shakspere  uses  the 
word  in  the  sense  of  'degen- 
erate' in  "  Recoyle  from  your 
great  stocke"  Cym.  1.6. 128. 
SF20  IN,  'on  the  occasion 
of/  'in  the  event  of/  N.E.D. 
lib.  IMPERI  ALL, 'supreme 
in  authority/  N.E.D.  4;  the 
word  takes  the  chief  stress 
of  the  phrase.  CHARGE, 
'commission/ cp.  "To  resist 
these  incursions  William 
Douglas,  Earl  of  Angus,  get- 
teth  charge"  Drummond's 
History  of  Scotland,  1654, 
p.  25-  Malcolm  means  '  in  the 
event  of  a  commission  im- 
posed by  supreme  authority.' 
SHALL, the  EL. useof  the  aux- 
iliary in  the  sense  of  'ought 
to,"  must.'  The  verse  has  six 
waves.  «IF2I  THOUGHTS, 
'fancies/  with  possibly  the 
sense  of 'anxieties.'  TRANS- 


MACDUFFE 
I  am  not  treacherous. 

MALCOLME 

But  Macbeth  is. 
A  good  and  vertuous  nature  may  recoyle 
In  an   imperiall  charge.    But   I   shall  crave 

your  pardon; 
That  which    you    are   my  thoughts   cannot 

transpose: 
Angels  are  bright  still,  though  the  brightest 

fell: 
Though    all    things    foule  would   wear   the 

brows  of  grace, 
Yet  grace  must  still  looke  so. 
MACDUFFE 

I  have  lost  my  hopes. 
MALCOLME 
Perchance  even  there  where  I  did  finde  my 

doubts : 
Why   in    that   rawnesse   left   you    wife   and 

childe, 
Those  precious  motives,  those  strong  knots 

of  love, 
Without  leave-taking?   I  pray  you, 
Let  not  my  jealousies  be  your  dishonors, 
But  mine  owne  safeties.  You  may  be  rightly 

just, 
What  ever  I  shall  thinke. 


POSE, 'change/  'alter  the  na- 
ture of/  cp.  'do  something  or  other,  let  it  [i.e.  brooding  fear]  not  transpose  thee'  Burton's 
Anat.  of  Mel.,  II.  3. 5.    Oliphant, '  New  English '  I,  p.  378,  cites  the  word  as  used  by  Barclay 
in  the  sense  of '  wresting  the  law ' ;  Shakspere  is  fond  of  using  words  in  legal  senses,  and  "  trans- 
pose "  may  have  such  a  sense  here  : '  cannot  wrest  your  character  from  its  true  action.'   ^23 

170 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

WOULD,  'were  to,'  cp.  note  to  1.7.34.  BROWS  in  EL.E.  often  means  'face,'  'appearance,' 
cp.  "This  seeming  brow  of  justice"  I  Hen. 4  IV.  3.83  (cited  in  N.E.D.  5  c).  The  word 
usually  carries  with  it  a  suggestion  of  hypocrisy.  SF  24  SO,  i.e.  look  like  grace,  an  in- 
stance of  the  EL.  use  of  "so"  to  represent  a  notion  implied  in  the  previous  statement. 
HOPES,  'what  I  had  hoped  for,'  N.E.D.  4  c.  Macduff  had  expected  to  be  welcomed  by 
Malcolm  and  return  with  him  to  the  rescue  of  Scotland.  *ff  25  That  is,  in  the  rashness 
of  your  flight.  "  Hope  "also  means  'ground  of  confidence 'in  EL.  E.,of  which  notion  DOUBT 
is  the  negative;  and  in  this  negative  form  Malcolm  couches  his  suspicion  of  Macduff,  at 
the  same  time  giving  the  reason  for  his  distrust.  The  words  are  a  good  illustration  of  Shak- 
spere's  compact  phraseology.  SF2&  THAT,  'such,'  cp.  note  to  v. 74.  RAWNESSE:  both 
'rashness'  and  'cruelty 'seem  to  have  blended  in  the  EL.  use  of  this  word,  cp.  "Some  crying 
..  upon  their  children  rawly  left"  Hen. 5  IV.I.I47  (cited  by  Cl.Pr.).  *ff27  MOTIVES, 
cp.  "motive,  a  moving  cause  or  argument"  Glossographia,  here  'moving  cause  for  action.' 
Shakspere  frequently  applies  the  word  to  persons,  see  Schmidt  s.v.  KNOTS,  'bonds,' 
'ties,' as  often  in  EL.E.;  cp.  N.E.D.  II.  428  LEAVE-TAKING:  the  stress  falls  upon 
the  second  element  of  the  compound  as  in  II. 3- 150.  The  pause  that  intervenes  after  the 
pointed  question  probably  takes  the  place  of  a  stressed  impulse,  giving  a  verse  such  as 
we  have  in  1. 5. 41,  1.5-58,  II.  1. 51,  and  IV. 3- 1 1 1-  It  is  possible  to  explain  "  I  pray  you" 
as  an  interjected  phrase  not  part  of  the  verse,  such  as  appears  in  III.  1.40,  but  this  in- 
volves alteration  of  the  FO.  verse  division  down  to  "What  ever  I  shall  thinke  "  in  v.  3 1 .  SF  29 
JEALOUSIES,  'expressions  of  distrust,'  cp.  N.E.D.  5  and  its  citation  from  Pell,  1659: 
"  Sailing  without  any  mistrust  or  jealousy  of  sands."  For  the  plural  form  in  "jealousies," 
"dishonors,"  "safeties,"  cp.  note  to  III.  1. 122.  DISHONORS,  'causes  for  shame,'  a  sense 
now  somewhat  unusual,  cp.  N.E.D.  2  and  its  citation  from  Eden,  1553  :  "they  toke  it  for 
a  dishonour  to  .  .  forsake  their  captayne."  SF 30  SAFETIES  in  EL.E.  means  ' safeguards,' 
'means  of  safety';  cp.  "This  is  the  safety  or  safeguard  of  our  confederates"  Phr. Gen., 
and  "It  is  our  safetie,  and  we  must  embrace  This  gentle  offer  of  the  perillous  time"  John 
IV. 3- 12;  see  also  Ham. II. 2. 79-  The  word  has  three  syllables.  For  the  stress  " mine 
owne  safeties,"  cp.  note  to  III. 4. 135.  The  sentence  stress  falls  upon  MAY,  i.e.  it  is  possible 
that  you  are.  RIGHTLY,  'really,'  'perfectly,'  as  frequently  in  EL.E.;  cp.  "Rightly  to  be 
great"  Ham. IV. 4. 53«  JUST  connoted  in  EL.E.  the  notion  of  faithfulness  in  personal 
obligations,  a  notion  now  expressed  by  'honourable,'  see  N.E.D.  2  b  and  its  citations  from 

Smith's  Virginia,  1624:  "He 

APT    IV  SrPNPTTT  3T      3  7       was  veryjust  of  [i.e.  in  respect 

m>  1      IV  O^CINC    111  ^1-^/       to]    his   promise,"  and  from 

Caes.  III. 2. 90,  "He  was  my 

MACDUFFE  friend,  faithfull   and  just  to 

Bleed,  bleed,  poore  country:      me."    SF 3 1    shall,  'may,' 

r*         a.  a.  I        iL         a1_      l_      ■  'amgoin^to';  cp.  "What  is 

Great  tyrrany,  lay  thou  thy  basis  sure,  he  th*t  slfall  b^y  fis  flocke?„ 

For  goodnesse  dare  not  check  thee:   wear  A.Y.L.  n.4.88,  and  see  note 

thou  thy  wrongs ;  to  n-3. 127. 

The  title  is  affear'd.     Far  thee  well,  lord:  <jf32    tyrrany    probably 

I  would  not  be  the  villaine  that  thou  think'st  carries  with  it  its  el.  notion 

For  the  whole  space  that  '.  in  the  tyrant's  ^^fl^i" 

graspe,  tion  following.     «ff  33    GOOD- 

And  the  rich  east  to  boot.  ,NE?SE  s?ems  hel"e  V5  mean, 

'right  and  justice   :  the  word 
had    a    much    wider    appli- 
cation in  EL.  E.  than  it  now  has.     DARE,  the  subjunctive  form,  cp.  III.  4.  99.     WEAR, 
'proclaim,'  'maintain,'  arising  out  of  its  EL.  connotation  of  'display,'  found  in  v. 46;  cp. 

171 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


"  You  may  wcare  her  in  title  yours"  Cym.  1.4.96?  and  'I  wore  the  Christian  cause  upon 
my  sword'  Beaumont  and  Fletcher's  Captain,  II.  I  (cited  in  Cent.  Diet.  s.v.  8).  "Win 
and  weare"  is  a  common  EL.  phrase  which  Shakspere  employs  in  Ado  V.  1.82.  In  the  ex- 
planation of  the  title-page  to  Slatyer's  Palasalbion,  the  word  is  used  of  usurpation  as  it  is 
here;  for  "tyrrany,"  not  "country,"  is  the  implied  subject,  as  is  shown  by  the  context: 
"the  Dane  in  armes  by  stealth  Sought  win  [i.e.  to  win]  or  wed  or  weare  her  [i.e.  England's] 
wealth."  SF  34  THE,  'thy,'  the  EL.  use  of  the  definite  article  for  the  MN.E.  possessive 
pronoun;  unfamiliar  with  this  syntax,  many  editors  adopt  Malone's  emendation  'thy.' 
AFFEAR'D  is  an  EL.  legal  term  meaning  'established,'  N.  E.  D.  2 ;  an  official  who  fixed  the 
amount  of  fines,  such  as  was  Shakspere's  father,  was  called  an  "affeeror."  The  word  is 
spelled  both  "affear"  and"affeer," — see  citation  from  Manwood,  N.E.D.  s.v.  'affeeror,' — 
the  ea  before  r  being  probably  pronounced  i.  For  TITLE  in  the  sense  of  'claim,'  cp.  note 
to  IV. 2. 7.  The  verse  lacks  an  impulse  after  "affear'd,"cp.  note  to  v.  28.  ^35  THINK'ST, 
'  hast  in  mind,'  and  not  a  mis- 
take for  'think  me' ;   cp.  III.       ACT    JV  SCENE    III 


37-49 

MALCOLME 

Be  not  offended: 
I  speake  not  as  in  absolute  feare  of  you. 
I    thinke    our    country   sinkes    beneath    the 

yoake; 
It  weepes,  it  bleeds;   and  each   new  day  a 

gash 
Is  added  to  her  wounds:  I  thinke  withall 
There  would  be  hands  uplifted  in  my  right; 
And  heerefrom  gracious  England  have  I  offer 
Of  goodly  thousands;  but  for  all  this, 
When  I  shall  treade  upon  the  tyrant's  head, 
Or  weare   it   on  my   sword,  yet    my  poore 

country 
Shall  have  more  vices  then  it  had  before, 
More  suffer  and  more  sundry  wayes  then 

ever, 
By  him  that  shall  succeede. 

MACDUFFE 

What  should  he  be? 


2.132. 

SF  38  ABSOLUTE, '  positive,' 
'downright,'  as  in  II. 6. 40; 
the  word  is  clipped  to  'abs'- 
ltite.'  SF  39  THE  is  again 
more  definite  than  in  MN.E. 
and  tantamount  to  '  his  yoke.' 
SF4I  The  change  from  neuter 
gender  to  personal  gender  in 
the  course  of  the  sentence  is 
common  in  EL.E.,cp.  citation 
from  Greene  in  the  note  to 
III. 2. 14.  WITHALL, 'in  ad- 
dition to  this,'  'moreover,' 
cp.  "withall  full  ofte  we  see 
Cold  wisdome  waighting  on 
superfluous  follie"   All 's  W. 

I.  I.  115,  and  "therewithall" 
III.  I.  34.  SF  42  IN  MY  RIGHT, 
'in  support  of  my  claim  to 
the  crown,'  cp.  "in  his  [i.e. 
the  King  of  England's]  right 
we    hold    this    towne"   John 

II.  I.268,and"In  her  right  we 
came"  ibid.  II.  1.548.  Cowel 
defines  a  right  as  "not  only 
a  right  for  which  a  writ  of 
right  lies,  but  also  any  title 
or  claim  .  .  for  which  no 
action    is    given   by  law  but 

only  an  entry."  4  43  ENGLAND,  i.e.  Edward,  the  King  of  England;  cp.  "Norway  him- 
selfe"  1.2.50.  SF 44  FOR,  'notwithstanding,'  an  obsolete  meaning  illustrated  in  N.E.D. 
25  a.  IF  46  WEARE  in  the  sense  of  'display,'  a  kindred  sense  to  that  found  in  v.  33. 
YET  goes  with  MORE,  'still  more';  for  the  position  of  the  adverb,  cp.  note  to  1.4.20. 
SF  48  SUNDRY,  'distinct,'  'diverse,'  a  meaning  now  obsolete;  see  Cent.  Diet.  s.v.  SF  49 
WHAT,  'who,'  'what  sort  of  person,'  cp.  note  to  1. 3- 39-  SHOULD  BE,  'is  to  be,'  cp. 
note  to  II. 3- 127. 

172 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


^50  After  verbs  like  KNOW,  see,  say,  etc.,  the  infinitive  'to  be'  is  often  omitted  in 
EL.E.,  cp.  "a  grave  man  whom  we  had  seen  of  great  trust  with  Plexirtus  "  Sidney's  Ar- 
cadia, p.  209  b ;  cp.  also  u  I  can  say  no  more  of  myself  but  [sc.  that  I  am]  beloved  of  my 
people"  ibid.  p.  44.  SF  51  PARTICULARS  in  EL.  E.  often  means 'peculiar  characteristics/ 
cp.  "the  particulars  of  future  beings  must  needs  be  dark  unto  ancient  theories"  Browne's 

Urn  Burial,  IV  (cited  by  Cent. 

ACT  IV  SCENE  III  5o-66    ^L^^ded^ 

grafting]    involves   a    similar 
MALCOLME  association    of    ideas.      <lr52 

It  is  my  selfe  I  meane:  in  whom  I  know  open'd  seems  here  to  have  a 

M,i               ..1             p                      ,      r,      1  double  meaning  applying  to 
the  particulars  of  vice  so  grafted  the  unfoiding  &anJ f  develop- 
That,   when    they   shall    be   open'd,  blacke     ment  of  the  graft  and  to  the 
Macbeth  disclosure  of  fault;    for  the 
.„.  .                                                                      1      1  latter  meaning,  cp.  "It  is  a 

Will  seeme  as  pure  as  snow,  and  the  poore     great  wisdom  in  a  prince  not 

to  reject . .  them  who  .  .  open 
to  him  his  misdemeanours  to 
the  commonwealth"  Drum- 
mond's  History  of  Scotland, 
ed.  1654, p. 241.  SF54  BEING 
COMPAR'D,  i.e.  when  his 
misdeeds  are  compared,  an 
EL.  construction  according  to 
sense  rather  than  grammar. 
SF55  CONFINELESSEseems 
to  be  made  upon  the  analogy 
of  "fineless"  and  to  mean 
'limitless';  there  is  no  other 
instance  of  the  word  given  in 
N.E.D.  MY  HARMES, 'in- 
juries done  by  me,'  cp.  "the 
most  bloody  nursser  of  his 
harmes"  I  Hen.6  IV.  7.  46. 
*ff  56  DIVELL,  the  form  with 
i  still  survives  in  vulgar  Eng- 

ln   my   voluptuousnesse:    your    wives,  your     Hsh.    In  el.  literary  English 


state 
Esteeme  him  as  a  lambe,  being  compar'd 
With  my  confinelesse  harmes. 
MACDUFFE 

Not  in  the  legions 
Of    horrid    hell    can    come    a    divell    more 

damn'd 
In  evils  to  top  Macbeth. 

MALCOLME 

I  grant  him  bloody, 
Luxurious,  avaricious,  false,  deceitfull, 
Sodaine,  malicious,  smacking  of  every  sinne 
That  has  a  name:  but  there  fs  no  bottome, 
none. 


the  word  is  frequently  a 
monosyllable,  cp.  note  to  1.3. 
107.  "Damned  in  hell"  for 
'damned  to  hell'  is  common 
EL.  phraseology  illustrating 
the  use  of  IN  to  express  the 
end  of  an  action,  and  the  FO. 
punctuation,  with  its  comma 
after  "evils,"  is  probably  cor- 
rect as  indicating  the  relation 
of  "in  evils."  SF 57  EVILS 
and  'ills 'are  the  same  words,  and  no  distinction  was  made  between  the  two  forms,  "evil" 
being  written  where  'ill'  was  spoken  as  here.  This  is  not  confined  to  Scotch  idiom,  as 
stated  in  N.E.D. ;  there  are  numerous  instances  in  literary  English.  TO  TOP:  cp.  "to 
top  or  over-top  one,  superare,  exuperare"  Phr.Gen.,  and  see  the  note  to  IV.  1.89;  cp. 

173 


daughters, 
Your  matrons  and  your  maides,  could  not 

fill  up 
The  cesterne  of  my  lust,  and  my  desire 
All  continent  impediments  would  ore-beare 
That  did  oppose  my  will:  better  Macbeth 
Then  such  an  one  to  reigne. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


also  v. 52.     BLOODY, 'murderous/ cp.  note  to  III.  1.30.      SF58    LUXURIOUS  in  M.E.  and 

e.  N.E.  means 'lecherous/  cp.u thou  damned  and  luxurious  mountaine  goat"  Hen. 5  IV. 4. 20. 

FALSE, 'false-hearted/  cp.  note  to  II. 3.143.     *ff59    SODAINE  is  a  M.E.  and  e.  N.  E.  form 

of  the  word  that  is  now  '  sudden/  and  means  '  rash/  '  passionate ' ;  cp.  "  sodaine  and  quicke 

in  quarrell"  A.Y.L.  II.  7. 151,  and  "  How,  child  of  wrath  and  anger  !  theloudlie?    For  what, 

my  sodaine  boy?"  Jonson's  Alchemist,   IV.  2.  569.     There    is   an  extra  impulse  before 

the  cassura  and  the  second  half-verse  begins  with  a  reversal,  "smacking  of,"  etc.      SF  63 

CESTERNE  is  a  l.M.E.  and  e.  N.E.  spelling  of  'cistern';  in  EL.  E.  the  word  was  commonly 

applied    to    a    pool.        *ff  64 

CONTINENT, 'restraining/ a       ACT     jy  SCENE     III  66-84 

common  EL.  meaning  01  the 

word,  and  not  an  imitation  of 

the   Latin  continens  as  it  is 

often  explained,  see  N.  E.  D.  3. 

SF65     WILL,   'pleasure/  cp. 

note  to  III.  I.  120;  in  Shak- 

spere's   time  the  word   was 

often  used  for  'lust.' 


MACDUFFE 

Boundlesse  intemperance 
In  nature  is  a  tyranny;  it  bath  beene 
Thf  untimely  emptying  of  the  happy  throne 
And  fall  of  many  kings.    But  feare  not  yet 
To  take  upon  you  what  is  yours:  you  may 
temp'rance.'  IF 67  nature,     Convey  your  pleasures  in  a  spacious  plenty, 

'character/'disposition';the       A    d                                    ld      h        {  SQ 

phrase    goes    with    "intern-  J  T J  J 

hoodwinke. 

We  have  willing  dames  enough ;  there  can- 
not be 

That  vulture  in  you,  to  devoure  so  many 

As  will  to  greatnesse  dedicate  themselves, 

Finding  it  so  inclinde. 

MALCOLME 

With  this  there  growes 
In  my  most  ill-composTd  affection  such 
A  stanchlesse  avarice  that,  were  I  king, 
I  should  cut  off  the  nobles  for  their  lands, 
Desire  his  jewels  and  this  other's  house: 
them  out  before  you,  that  they     And  my  more-having  would  be  as  a  sawce 

mayebeafalluntoyou"Cov-       T  fc      mQ    h         ,        m  that    J    should 

erdale  s    version    01    Judges  o  7 

forge 
Quarrels  unjust  against  the  good  and  loyall, 
Destroying  them  for  wealth. 


SF  66    INTEMPERANCE,  'in- 


perance.  A  TYRANNY,  'a 
sort  of  usurping  power/  cp. 
note  to  III. 6. 23.  That  this 
meaning  is  involved  in  "tyr- 
anny" is  shown  by  the  thought 
which  follows,  'it  empties 
thrones';  the  figure  is  of  a 
piece  withthat  EL.psychology 
of  the  will  referred  to  in  the 
note  to  1.3. 1 39  ff.  IT  HATH 
is  frequently  contracted  to 
"'t  hath"  in  EL.  verse,  and 
probably  is  so  here.  *1F  68 
THRONE,  i.e.  of  many  kings, 
the  EL.  dnb  kolvov  construc- 
tion. SF69  FALL, 'cause  of 
ruin/  cp.  "  I  wil   not   dryve 


II. 3,  and  "The  tongue  of  man 
is  his  fall"  Authorized  Ver- 
sion of  Eccles.V.  13  (cited  in 
N.E.D.  s.v.  17).     YET,  'not- 


withstanding/ 'though  this  is 

the  case':  in  MN.E.  syntax  'yet'  follows  immediately  after  'but.'  SF  7 1  CONVEY,  'carry 
on/  with  the  notion  of  secrecy,  N.  E.  D.  1 2.  In  Holinshed  (Boswell-Stone,  p.  38)  Macduff 
promises  to  "convey  the  matter  wiselie."  SPACIOUS  PLENTY,  'unrestricted  license'; 
Baret  glosses  'plentie'  by  "leave,  licence,  power."  SF  72  TIME,  'the  world/  cp.  note  to 
1.5.64.     HOODWINKE   in   Shakspere's  time   still  retained  much  of  its  literal  meaning, 


174 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

*  blindfold/  cp.  the  citation  from  Cotgrave  in  note  to  III.  2.46.  *ff  74  The  demonstrative 
pronoun  in  EL.  E.  is  sometimes  equivalent  to  '  such  a,'  '  such,'  cp.  "  that  rawnesse  "  IV.  3-  26, 
"these  traines"  IV.  3. 1 18,  and  "Crassus  .  .  bought  bondmen  that  were  masons,  carpenters, 
and  these  devisours  and  builders"  North's  Plutarch,  p.  597:  THAT  VULTURE  TO  here, 
therefore,  means  'such  a  vulture  as  to.'  SF  76  WITH  THIS,  'in  addition  to  this,'  a  frequent 
meaning  of  the  preposition  in  e.N.E.  SF  77  ILL-COMPOS'D,  'badly  compounded,'  cp. 
N.E.D.4.  AFFECTION, '  disposition,' N.  E.  D.  4.  SF  78  "  Staunch"  is  a  noun  in  EL.  E.  mean- 
ing 'that  which  quenches,'  and  STANCHLESSE,  therefore,  a  normal  compound.  SF80 
The  personal  pronoun  of  the  third  person  was  very  frequently  used  indefinitely  in  EL. 
syntax,  cp.  "Let  Amuracke  himself  or  any  he  the  proudest  of  you  all"  Greene's  Al- 
phonsus,  1662.  Here  it  stands  for  'one  man's.'  *ff  8 1  MORE-HAVING  is  hyphenated  in 
FO.  I.     A  SAWCE  in  EL.  E.  is  'a  provocative  of  appetite' ;  this  meaning  is  still  retained  in 

the   proverb  'Hunger  is  the 

ACT  IV  SCENE  III  84-90    ^^tLwt 

Lady  Macbeth's  words  in  III. 
MACDUFFE  4.36.    <ff82  THAT, 'so  that.' 

This  avarice         forge,  ' invent,' n.e.d.  4. 

Stickes  deeper,  growes  with  more  pernicious      <jp85     stickes    deeper 

roote  'has  a  deeper  root,'cp.  III.  I. 

Then  summer-seemind  lust,  and  it  hath  bin        ?o.    *86  summer-seem- 

11  ING :     tne    words    evidently 

1  he  sword  of  our  slaine  kings:   yet  do  not     denote  the  opposite  of  'deep- 

f  eare  *  rooted':   a  similar  notion  is 

S,i        1   1      .1     n  p. 11  .11  involved   in   "lest    the   base 

cotland  hath  foysons  to  fill  up  your  will  earth  ,  §  Disdaine  to  roote 

Of  your  meere  owne:  all  these  are  portable,  the  sommer-swellingflowre" 
With  other  draces  weirfh'd.  TwoGent.n.4.i62 .  "Seem" 

00  in  EL. E.  means  both  'to  ap- 

pear' and  'to  belong  to,'  'to 
be  suitable  to,'  and  the  two  notions  often  blend.  Perdita,  in  Wint.T.  IV.  4. 74,  says  that 
rosemary  and  rue"keepe  seeming  [i.e.  comely  appearance]  and  savour  [i.e.  fragrance]  all 
the  winter  long";  "summer-seeming,"  therefore,  in  normal  EL. E.  suggests  a  flower  that 
blooms  in  the  summer-time,  i.e.  an  annual,  and  has  the  same  meaning  as  "sommer-swell- 
ing,"  i.e.  summer-blooming.  The  difficulty  of  the  epithet  when  construed  as  MN.E.  has 
given  rise  to  various  emendations,  chief  among  which  is  'summer-teeming'  Theobald,  and 
'summer-seeding'  (d  is  immediately  over  m  in  the  EL.  type-case)  Heath  apud  Steevens, 
1 785  ;  these  emendations  are  better  than  such  patches  usually  are,  but  so  long  as  "  summer- 
seeming"  gives  an  apt  and  intelligible  sense  we  are  not  justified  in  improving  upon  it. 
Malone  called  attention  to  the  lines  in  Donne's  Love's  Alchymie:  "And  as  no  chymique 
[i.e.  chemist]  yet  th'  Elixar  got,  But  glorifies  his  pregnant  pot  If  by  the  way  to  him  befall 
Some  oderiferous  thing  or  medicinal  [med'cinal],  So  lovers  dreame  a  rich  and  long  delight, 
But  get  a  winter-seeming  summer's  night,"  i.e.  a  short  night  of  pleasure  that  belongs  to 
winter  because  of  the  bitterness  which  follows  (?),  ed.  1650,  p.  32.  Shakspere  makes 
"summer"  stand  for 'pleasant' in  "  If 't  be  summer  newes  Smile  too 't  before:  if  winterly, 
thou  need'st  But  keepe  that  count'nance  stil"  Cym.III.4. 12.  SF  87  THE  SWORD  OF  OUR 
SLAINE  KINGS:  cp.  "for  that  crime  [i.e.  avarice]  the  most  part  of  our  kings  have  beene 
slaine  and  brought  to  their  final  end"  Holinshed  (Boswell-Stone,  p.  39).  SF  88  FOYSONS 
in  EL. E.  means  'resources,'  an  extension  of  its  sense  of  'strength,'  'power,'  N.E.D.  2. 
FILL  UP,  'satisfy,'  cp.  N.E.D.  s.v.  f,  and  its  citation  "comes  .  .  to  fill  up  your  grace's 
request"  Merch.  IV.  1. 159-  WILL,  'pleasure,'  'sensual  appetite,'  as  above,  v.  65.  SF 89 
OF  goes  with  "fill"  and  means  'with.'     MEERE  in  EL.E.  means  ' absolute,' cp.  v.  152  and 

175 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


"a  foreign  stranger  mere"  Peele, 'Sir  Clyomon  and  Sir  Clamydes'  1.45  ;  the  words  "meere 
owne"  have  a  peculiar  fitness  when  applied  to  the  king's  property:  "this  [i.e.  property] 
none  in  our  kingdom  can  be  said  to  have  in  any  lands  and  tenements,  but  only  the  king" 
Cowel  s.v.  *  property.'  PORTABLE,  'endurable,'  see  N.E.  D.  s.v.  'importable'  and  cp. 
Holinshed,  ed.  Boswell-Stone,  p.  38,  "mine  intemperance  should  be  more  importable  unto 
you  than  the  bloudie  tyrannie 

ACT  IV  SCENE  III 


of  Macbeth  now  is."  SF  90 
GRACES,  'good  qualities,' 
1  virtues,'  N.  E.  D.  1 3  b,  a  com- 
mon meaning  of  the  word  in 
the  1 7th  century,  cp.  "these 
graces  [i.e.  virtues]  challenge 
[i.e.  claim]  grace  [i.e. favour]  " 
3Hen.6  IV.8.48. 

^92  AS,  'such  as/acommon 
meaningof  theadverbin  EL.E. 
VERITY,  'faithfulness,'  cp. 
"his  verity  in  love"  A.Y.L. 
III. 4. 25.  It  is  syncopated  to 
'ver'ty.'  IF 93  BOUNTY, 'gen- 
erosity,' N.  E.  D.  4.  PERSE- 
VERANCE and  "persever"  is 
the  normal  EL.  stress,  and 
not  peculiar  to  Shakspere, 
cp.  "  O  lively  life  that  death- 
less shall  persever"  [rhymes 
with  ever]  Collier,  'Lyrical 
Poems,'  Per.  Soc,  p.  12,  and 
"And  wilt  thou  still  persever 
in  thylove"  Greene, Orl. Fur., 
488.  "Perseverance"  is  the 
stress  given  by  Minsheu :  the 
word  is  syncopated  to  'per- 
sev'rance.'  SF94  DEVOTION,  'earnest  application,'  N.  E.D.  5-  *ff95  RELLISH  OF,  not 
'taste  for,'  but  'trace  of,'  cp.  "some  acte  That  has  no  rellish  of  salvation  in  V  Ham. III. 
3-92;  "it  smacks  of"  and  "it  rellishes  of  "  are  common  glosses  of  sapit  in  EL.E.  ABOUND: 
cp.  "aboundeth  in  wickednesse"  Coverdale's  version  of  Jer.  VI. 6,  and  "to  abound  .  .  in 
wickedness  and  vices,  abundare  nequitia  et  vitus"  Phr.  Gen.  *ff  96  DIVISION  is  an  EL. 
musical  term  denoting  'the  execution  of  a  rapid  melodic  passage  originally  conceived  as 
the  dividing  of  each  of  a  succession  of  long  notes  into  several  short  ones' :  cp.  "the  larke 
makes  sweete  division"  Rom. &Jul.  III. 5-29.  Malcolm's  vices  run  the  gamut  of  crime. 
SF97  ACTING, 'executing,' cp.  note  to  III.4. 140.  The  verse  is  one  of  six  waves.  *ff  98 
MILKE  OP  CONCORD:  see  note  to  1.5. 18.  SF 99  UPRORE,  'break  up  in  revolution,' cp. 
"permiscere  Grceciam  dictus  est,  to  trouble  all  Greece  and  set  it  in  an  uprore,"  and  "ttimul- 
tuari  Gallias  comperit,  he  found  that  the  countreys  of  France  were  in  an  uprore"  Cooper, 
and  "an  uproar,  tumult,  or  hurley  burley,  tumultus,  insurrectio"  Holyoke.  Modern  edi- 
tors would  botch  this  graphic  word  into' uptear,"  uproot,"  uprear.'  UNIVERSALL  PEACE 
is  an  EL.  phrase  for  '  world-wide  peace ' ;  Shakspere  uses  it  also  in  Ant.&Cl.  IV.  6. 5?  "  The 
time  of  universall  peace  is  neere."  CONFOUND,  'bring  to  naught,'  as  frequently  in  EL.E. 
SF 100  The  passage  is  a  delicate  compliment  to  James  I,  whose  proud  boast  was  that  he 
had  peacefully  accomplished  the  unity  of  England  and  Scotland,  and  whose  whole  political 
endeavour  was  to  establish  something  like  a  'universal  peace'  among  the  nations. 

176 


91-102 

MALCOLME 
But  I  have  none:  the  king-becoming  graces, 
As  justice,  verity,  temp'rance,  stablenesse, 
Bounty,  perseverance,  mercy,  lowlinesse, 
Devotion,  patience,  courage,  fortitude, 
I  have  no  rellish  of  them,  but  abound 
In  the  division  of  each  severall  crime, 
Acting  it  many  wayes.     Nay,  had  I   powre, 

I  should 
Poure  the  sweet  milke  of  concord  into  hell, 
Uprore  the  universall  peace,  confound 
All  unity  on  earth. 

MACDUFFE 

O  Scotland,  Scotland! 

MALCOLME 
If  such  a  one  be  fit  to  governe,  speake: 
I  am  as  I  have  spoken. 


THE    TRAGEDIE     OF    MACBETH 


ACT  IV 


SCENE  III 


I02-I  14 


SF  104  WITH, 'by.'  UNTITLED,  the  negative  of  'titled,'  'having  no  title,'  cp.  "False 
Duessa  now  untitled  queene,"  i.e.  having  no  claim  to  the  throne,  Spenser's  Faerie  Queene, 
V.9.42.  BLOODY  SCEPTRED,  'bloodily  ruled,'  cp.  "This  royall  throne  of  kings,  this 
sceptred  isle"  Rich. 2  II.  1.40.  Holinshed's  words  are  :"the  wicked  tyrant  that  now  reigneth 
over  you,  without  anie  right  or  title  oppressing  you  with  his  most  bloudie  crueltie."  *1F  105 
WHOLSOME  means  both  'prosperous'  and  'healthy,'  cp.  "the  tender  of  a  wholesome 
weale"  Lear  1.4.230,  and  "like  a  mildew'd  eare  Blasting  his  [i.e.  its]  wholsom  brother" 
Ham.  III.  4.  64.  SFI06  SINCE  THAT:  in  M.E.  and  e.  N.E.  particles  are  frequently 
strengthened  by  'that';  the  idiom  is  now  archaic.  TRUEST,  'most  rightful,'  'legitimate,' 
cp.  "the  true  prince"  I  Hen. 4  1.2. 173  (though  Falstaff  is  punning  on  the  phrase).     <lr  107 

An  INTERDICTION  in  Scot- 
tish law  isa  restraint  imposed 
upon  a  person  incapable  of 
managing  his  own  affairs  on 
account  of  unsoundness  of 
mind,  improvidence,  etc.,  cp. 
Scottish  Acts  of  James  VI, 
1597,  c.  118:  "That  the  per- 
son at  quhais  instance  the 
other  is  interdicted  or  inhibite 
produce  the  said  interdiction 
and  inhibition  to  the  clerke  of 
the  shire"  N.E.D. 'interdict'  2. 
This  is  another  illustration  of 

By  his  owne  interdiction  stands  accus  d,  Shakspere's  wide  legal  know- 

ledge.  Modern  editors,  in- 
cluding those  of  the  Cam- 
bridge text,  unaware  of  this 
legal  sense  of  'interdiction,' 
and  supposing  the  word  to 
have  a  religious  signification, 
have  adopted  the  "accurst" 

Dy'de  everyday  she  liv'd.     Fare  thee  well!      of  fos.  2, 3,  etc.,  for  the"ac- 

cust  "  of  FO.  I,  which  seems 
to  be  an  anomalous  spelling 
of  'accus'd,'  due  to  s  coming 
in  contact  with  the  participial 
ending;  in  EL. E.  the  word 
1  hy  hope  ends  heere  !  means  'revealed  in  true  char- 

acter,'N.E.D.  6.  «ff  108  BLAS- 
PHEME was  used  in  EL. E.  in  the  sense  of  'slander,'  'speak  great  evil  of,'  N.E.D.  3;  the 
sense  still  survives  in  MN.E.,  but  not  in  such  a  connection  as  here.  BREED,  'breeding,' 
'ancestry,'  N.E.D.  2  b.  *ff  109  SAINTED,  'saint-like,'  'holy,'  cp.  "This  outward  sainted 
deputie  .  .  is  yet  a  divell "  Meas.  III.  1 . 89-  FO.  I  hyphenates  "  sainted-king,"  why  it  is  not 
easy  to  explain.  SF  1 1 1  DY'DE  EVERY  DAY  SHE  LIV'D:  Shakspere  evidently  remem- 
bered St.  Paul's  words,  "I  die  daily"  I  Cor.  XV.  31.  LIV'D :  the  inflectional  ending  of 
weak  verbs  in  EL.  E.  still  retained  in  many  instances  its  M.E.  syllabic  force,  cp.  "Who  with 
a  taper  walked  in  a  sheete"  Drayton,  Sp.  Soc,  I.  288,  and  "Whenas  myne  eyes  I  raked 
out  with  pawes"  Newton,  'Thebais,'  Sp.  Soc,  1.92,  and  "And  seemed  to  disswade  the 
hand"  ibid.}  so  "he  look-ed,"  "I  dream-ed,"  "I  procur-ed,"  and  such  forms  occur  con- 
stantly in  EL.  poetry.  "Lived"  is  dissyllabic  in  Cees.  III.  I.  257  (cited  by  Williams  and 
Dyce).  But  the  FO.'S  "liv'd"  makes  a  verse  of  the  type  illustrated  in  v.  28.  *¥  1 1 2  EVILS, 
1  sins,'  '  vices,'  a  common  meaning  in  EL.  E. ;  cp.  N.  E.  D.  5  and  the  citation  from  '  The  Mir- 

177 


MACDUFFE 

Fit  to  govern ! 
No,  not  to  live.    O  nation  miserable, 
With  an  untitled  tyrant  bloody  sceptred, 
When  shalt  thou  see  thy  wholsome  dayes 

againe, 
Since  that  the  truest  issue  of  thy  throne 
his  owne  interdiction  stands  accus'd, 
And  does  blaspheme  his  breed?    Thy  royall 

father 
Was  a  most  sainted  king:   the  queene  that 

bore  thee, 
Oftner  upon  her  knees  then  on  her  feet, 

r'de  every  day  she  liv'd.     Fare  thee  well ! 
These  evils  thou  repeat'st  upon  thy  selfe 
Hath   banish'd  me  from    Scotland.     O   my 
brest, 

hope  ends  heere! 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ror  for  Magistrates/  "  King  Edwardes  evils  all  wer  counted  mine."  UPON  as  denoting  the 
thing  effected  by  the  action  has  a  wider  range  of  usage  in  EL.  E.  than  in  MN.E.,  see  v.  13 1  ; 
M  do  good  upon  one  "  and  u  do 

ACT  IV  SCENE  III 


harm  upon  one"  are  common 
idioms  in  Shakspere.  The 
notion  in  REPEAT  is  probably 
that  of  'reiterating  charges.' 
SF  113  BREST :  see  note  to  v. 2. 

SFII6  SCRUPLES, 'doubts/ 
as  in  II. 3.  135.  THOUGHTS, 
'purposes';  the  verse  is  one 
of  six  waves.  SF  1 18  THESE, 
'such  as  these/  cp.  note  to 
v.74.  TRAINES, 'tricks/ cp. 
"And  all  her  traynes  and  all 
her  treasons  forth  did  lay" 
Spenser's  Faerie  Queene, 
V.  9- 47,  and  "train,  a  trap 
or  wheedle"  Kersey.  SF  1 19 
MODEST,  'sober/  cp.  "men 
modest  or  moderate  enough, 
homines  satis  frugi  ac  sobrii" 
Phr.  Gen.  PLUCKES  ME, 
i.e.  holds  me  back,  SF  120 
CREDULOUS  :  the  u  had  not 
yet  become  iu  as  in  MN.  E., 
and  the  word  was  subject  to 
syncopation,  cp.  "mirac'lous" 
in  v.  147.  SF  122  PUT  TO, 
'confide  in/  cp.  "  I  'le  put  My 
fortunes  to  your  service" 
Wint.T.  1.2.439-  SF  123  UN- 
SPEAKE,  'to  speak  the  con- 
trary of/  like  "unsay";  cp. 
"she  wishedtounknowewhat 
she  knewe"  Sidney's  Arca- 
dia, 260b.     SF  124   BLAMES, 


I  14-137 

MALCOLME 
Macduff,  this  noble  passion, 
Childe  of  integrity,  hath  from  my  soule* 
Wip'd   the   blacke    scruples,  reconciFd    my 

thoughts 
To    thy  good   truth    and   honor.     Divellish 

Macbeth 
By  many  of  these  traines  hath  sought  to  win 

me 
Into  his  power,  and  modest  wisedome  pluckes 

me 
From  over-credulous  hast:  but  God  above 
Deale  betweene  thee  and  me !     For  even  now 
I  put  my  selfe  to  thy  direction,  and 
Unspeake mine  owne  detraction,  heere  abjure 
The  taints  and  blames  I  laide  upon  my  selfe, 
For  strangers  to  my  nature.     I  am  yet 
Unknowne  to  woman,  never  was  forsworne, 
Scarsely  have  coveted  what  was  mine  owne, 
At  no  time  broke  my  faith,  would  not  betray 
The  devill  to  his  fellow  and  delight 
No  lesse  in  truth   then  life:   my  first  false 

speaking 
'charges," accusations/ a f re-     Was  this  upon  my  selfe :   what  I  am  truly, 

Is  thine  and  mypoore  countries  to  command: 
Whither,  indeed,  before  thy  heere  approach, 
Old  Sey  ward,  with  ten  thousand  warlike  men, 
Already  at  a. point,  was  setting  foorth. 
Now  wee  ?1   together;    and   the   chance    of 

goodnesse 
Be  like  our  warranted  quarrell !    Why  are 

you  silent? 


quent  meaning  of  the  word  in 
M.  E.ande.  N.  E.,  see  N.  E.  D.  2. 
SFI25  NATURE, 'character.' 
SFI3I  TRULY,  'really/  'ac- 
cording to  nature/  cp.  "ef- 
figies .  .  Most  truly  limn'd" 
A.  Y.  L.  II.  7.  193.  SFI33 
THY :  apparently  misprinted 
"they"  in  FO.I.  HEERE  AP- 
PROACH: such  compounds 
are   frequent   in    EL.  E.,    cp 


"heere  remaine"  v.  148,  and 

"before  breach"  Hen.  5  IV.  1. 179.      SFI34    OLD  SEYWARD  is  Holinshed's  phraseology; 

the  epithet  does  not  savour  of  disrespect  in  EL.  E.,  but  is  tantamount  to  '  senior.'    SF  1 35  AT 

178 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

A  POINT,  i.e.  ready;  "at  point"  is  a  common  EL.  phrase,  cp.  "all  at  point  to  die  with 
violent  laughter"  Chapman's  Odyssey,  XVIII.  140;  the  indefinite  article  is  unusual,  but 
Halliwell  cites  two  instances  from  EL.  literature,  and  CI.  Pr.  quotes  Florio's  definition 
"essere  in  punto,  to  be  in  a  readinesse,  to  be  at  a  point."  FOORTH  :  a  M.E.  lengthening 
of  o  +  r  followed  by  a  consonant  was  still  preserved  in  EL.  E.,  probably  with  the  sound  u, 
giving  such  spellings  as  "foorth,"  "woorth,"  "woord,"  etc.  <lr  1 36  WEE'L,  'we'll  go,' 
with  the  usual  omission  of  the  verb  of  motion.  CHANCE  OF  GOODNESSE  has  been  much 
discussed,  and  there  are  at  least  eight  emendations  recorded,  for  the  most  part  lame  and 
impotent  conclusions,  based  upon  a  lack  of  familiarity  with  Elizabethan  idiom.  But  the 
N.  E.  D.  shows  that  " goodnesse "  in  M.  E.  and  e.N.  E.  had  the  sense  of  ' advantage,'  '  profit,' 
passing  into  'prosperity,'  'good  fortune,'  'good  success' ;  cp.  its  citation  from  Coverdale, 
1 550,  "  After  trouble  and  adversite  foloweth  al  maner  of  goodnes  and  felicite."  This  mean- 
ing is  a  natural  inference  from  "God  send  you  good  of  it,  feliciter  tibi  cedat"  Baret's 
Alvearie  ;  "much  good  do 't  you"  was  a  common  EL.  phrase.  In  Rich, 2  II.  1. 212  \iork 
says,  "What  will  ensue  heereof  there's  none  can  tell,  But  by  bad  courses  may  be  under- 
stood That  their  events  can  never  fall  out  good."  The  same  meaning  occurs  in  the  FO. 
text  of  Rich. 3  1.4. 194,  "  I  charge  you,  as  you  hope  for  any  goodnesse"  (the  Quarto  reads  : 
"to  have  redemption");  so"blisse  and  goodnesse  on  you"  Meas.  III. 2. 228.  But  another 
interpretation  is  possible  by  taking  "of  goodnesse"  as  a  limiting  genitive  in  the  sense  of 
'rightfulness,'  'right  and  justice,'  as  used  in  IV.3-33-  In  either  case  Malcolm's  words 
mean  'May  our  chance  of  good  success  be  as  sure  as  our  cause  is  just,'  i.e.  May  God 

defend  the  right  I  SF  137  WAR- 

ACT  IV  SCENE  III  138-145     £^t^£*jE 

and  justice,  with  also  the  lit- 
MACDUFFE  .  eral  sense  of  the  word  which 

Such  welcome  and  unwelcom  things  at  once     is  now  borne  by  its  by-form 

rm  .     i         i   ,                       .i                                 °  'guarantee.'       OUR     QUAR- 

T  IS  hard  tO  reconcile.  RELL,' my  cause,' 'my claim,' 

ENTER  A  DOCTOR       cp.  "The   quarrell   of  a  true 

MALCOLME  inheritor"  2Hen.4  IV  5. 169. 

XYr   n  Malcolm  unconsciously  uses 

Well,  more  anon.  the  majesty  plural. 

TO   DOCTOR 

Comes  the  kind  forth,  I  pray  you?      *Wforth,  'abroad,'  'in 

0  *        1       u   1/  public,  an  EL.  meaning  or  the 

DOCTOR  adverb  now  obsolete.     *1FI4I 

I,  sir;  there  are  a  crew  of  wretched  soules       CREWinEL.E.didnotalways 

m,  1   .  ,1  11  .  have  the  derogatory  sense  that 

That  stay  his  cure;  their  malady  convinces  it  has  now  e|cep/in  phrases 
The  great  assay  of  art;  but  at  his  touch —  like  'boat's  crew';  here  it 
Such  sanctity  hath  heaven  diven  his  hand—     ™era"s  <comPa"y  of  people.' 

J.  ,  O  <fl:I42    STAY, 'wait  for,' as  in 

1  hey  presently  amend.  in. 5. 35.    convinces, 'de- 

feats,' i.e.  will  not  yield  to ; 
the  word  in  EL.  E.  also  means  '  to  demonstrate  anything  to  be  erroneous,'  cp.  N.  E.  D.  6,  and 
the  meaning  here  may  be 'demonstrates  as  ineffectual.'  SF  143  GREAT  ASSAY:  "assay" 
means 'effort'  or  'attempt,'  N.  E.  D.  I,  and  "great"  is  used  in  its  EL.  sense  of  'mighty,' 
'powerful,'  cp.  "great  tyranny"  v.  32.  ART,  'professional  skill,' cp.  IV.  I.IOI  and  "work 
in  which  they  have  .  .  used  a  great  deal  of  art"  Moxon,  'Mechanick  Exercises'  (cited  in 
N.  E.  D.  4).  4  144  Fault  has  been  found  with  SANCTITY,  and  Theobald  proposed  '  sanity,' 
evidently  supposing  that  the  word  meant  'healing  power';  but  no  trace  of  this  meaning 
has  as  yet  been  found  in  EL.  E.    The  word  seems  to  be  here  used  in  the  sense  of '  miraculous 

179 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF     MACBETH 


power';  Purchas,  'Pilgrimage'  V.3I0,  speaking  of  "soules  or  persons"  supposed  to  be 
"begotten  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  says  that  they  are  held  in  "such  reputation"  that  "if  their 
haires  be  laid  upon  any  they  say  that  their  sicknesses  are  cured,"  and  goes  on  to  cite  a 
particular  instance  in  the  words  "In  this  reputation  of  sanctitie  they  have  a  certaine  old 
woman,"  etc.  Here  the  notion  involved  in  the  word  "sanctity"  is  the  same  as  that  im- 
plied by  Shakspere,  viz.  'miracle-working  power.'  SF  145  PRESENTLY,  'immediately,' 
the  usual  meaning  of  the  word  in  e. N.E. ;  cp.  "with  this  knife  I  'le  helpe  it  presently" 
Rom.&Jul.  IV.  1.54.  AMEND, 

SCENE    III 


not  'improve,'  as  in   MN.E.,        1  p/y     j\r 
but  'recover,'  N.E.  D.  6  b.  Al^  X      1V 


145-159 


SF  146  EVILL  in  M.E.  and 
e.N.E.  had  the  meaning  of 
'disease,'  'malady';  in  this 
sense  it  is  recorded  in  N.E.  D. 
as  late  as  1725.  The  "king's 
evil "  was  one  of  a  number  of 
compounds  like  "foul  evil," 
"falling  evil,"  and  described 
various  scrofulous  affections. 
"The  evil"  itself  thus  came 
to  designate  scrofula,  which 
was  a  common  affection,  be- 
yond "the  great  assay  of  art," 
in  the  1 5th  and  1 6th  centuries. 
The  power  of  the  king  to  heal 
this  disease  by  laying  on  of 
hands  was  popularly  traced 
to  Edward  the  Confessor, 
and  was  from  time  to  time 
asserted  by  the  Plantagenet 
and  Stuart  kings.  James  I, 
during  the  early  years  of  his 
reign,  revived  public  inter- 
est in  the  matter,  expressing 
his  fears  that  he  might  be 
considered  superstitious  in 
following  the  practice  of  his 
predecessors.  The  king,  how- 
ever,compromised  by  ascrib- 
ing the  potent  effects  of  the 
royal  touch  to  the  efficacy 
of  prayer.  This  was  in  the 
latter  part  of   1603,  see  Gar- 


MALCOLME 

I  thanke  you,  doctor. 

EXIT 
MACDUFFE 
What's  the  disease  he  meanes? 
MALCOLME 

'T  is  calPd  the  evill: 
A  most  myraculous  worke  in  this  good  king; 
Which    often,   since    my    heere    remaine  in 

England, 
I    have    seene    him    do.     How    he   solicites 

heaven, 
Himselfe  best  knowes:  but  strangely  visited 

people, 
All  swolne  and  ulcerous,  pittifull  to  the  eye, 
The  meere  dispaire  of  surgery,  he  cures, 
Hanging  a  golden  stampe  about  their  neckes, 
Put  on  with  holy  prayers:  and  ft  is  spoken, 
To  the  succeeding  royalty  he  leaves 
The  healing  benediction.   With  this  strange 

vertue, 
He  hath  a  heavenly  guift  of  prophesie, 
And  sundry  blessings  hang  about  his  throne, 
That  speake  him  full  of  grace. 


diner's  History  of  England, 
I.  152.  Shakspere  seems  pointedly  to  refer  to  this  peculiar  explanation  in  "How  he 
solicites  heaven,  Himselfe  best  knowes,"  and  in  speaking  of  the  power  as  a  "healing 
benediction,"  so  that  the  passage  must  have  been  written  when  James's  public  declara- 
tion was  fresh  in  the  public  mind,  say  1605  or  1 606,  and  not  in  "after  years,"  as  Gar- 
diner assumes,  when  this  peculiar  interpretation  had  been  forgotten.  9f  147  MYRAC- 
ULOUS, 'mirac'lous,'  see  v.  120.  SF  148  HEERE  REMAINE:  cp.  v.  133;  so  "their  often 
meeting"  Jonson,  '  Sejanus,'  1 640,  p.  335,  and  "the  often  harmonie"  Drayton,  '  Barrons 
Warres.'    SF 149  I  HAVE:  probably  contracted  to  "I've."   SOLICITES, 'wins  the  favour  of,' 

180 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

cp.  "to  solicite  men's  minds  and  entice  them  with  brybes"  Cooper,  and  the  similar  notion 
involved  in  the  use  of  the  word  in  1.3. 130.  <ffl50  HIMSELFE:  see  note  to  III.  1.5. 
VISITED  was  probably  shortened  to  'vis'ted';  the  word  was  widely  used  in  EL. E.  in 
the  sense  of  'afflicted/  and  "visiting"  is  still  found  in  the  Bible  in  the  sense  of  'visi- 
tation' or  'infliction  of  evil.'  SFI5I  PITTIFULL  is  likewise  syncopated,  cp.  III. 2. 47. 
SFI52  MEERE,  'absolute,' 'utter,' cp.  note  to  v.  89.  *ff  153  STAMPE  is  an  EL.  word  for 
'coin,'  cp.  "I  found  thee  of  more  valew  Then  stampes  in  gold"  Merry W.  III.4. 15.  The 
coin  hung  about  the  necks  of  those  touched  for  the  'evil'  was  the  angel  of  about  ten  shil- 
lings value  and  known  as  "evil-gold,"  N.E. D.  6.  Charles  II  had  a  special  coin  made  for 
the  ceremony,  which  came  to  be  known  as  a  "touch-piece."  <ff  154  HOLY  PRAYERS: 
the  form  of  prayer  used  on  these  occasions  was  inserted  in  the  prayer-book  in  1684  and 
remained  until  1 7 1 9  (CI.  Pr.).  SPOKEN,  'currently  reported,'  cp.  "there's  wondrous 
things  spoke  of  him"  Cor.  II.  1. 152.  *ff  1 56  WITH, 'in  addition  to,' as  frequently  in 
EL.  E.  VERTUE  in  M.E.  and  e.  N.E.  meant  'power,'  cp.  "knowing  in  himselfe  that  vertue 
had  gone  out  of  him"  Mark  V.3-30.  SF  157  GUIFT:  Baret  laments  the  lack  of  a  letter 
"to  sound  like  gamma11 ;  "for  in  spelling  and  reading  we  sound  g  before  e  and  i  after 
another  sorte  then  we  do  before  a,  o,  or  u";  this  lack  was  often  supplied  by  gu  in  EL. 
writing,  and  the  device  is  still  current  in  MN.E.  'guess'  (M.E.  "gesse")  and  'guilt'  (M.E. 
"gilt"),  etc.  The  GUIFT  OF  PROPHESIE  may  be  a  covert  reference  to  James's  fondness 
for  theological  discussion  :  after  the  Hampton  Court  Conference  in  1604  it  was  commonly 
remarked  that  "His  majesty  spoke  by  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  of  God,"  and  Ellesmere 
quoted  the  legal  maxim  l^ex  est  mixta  persona  cum  sacerdote.     The  words,  however, 

are  primarily  due  to  Holins- 

ACT  IV  SCENE  III  159-I63     ^PSTw^St 

DnQQ.  Stone,  p.  40)  — that  Edward 

ENTER  ROSSE  tne  Confessor, besides  his  gift 

MACDUFFE  Gf  touch  fortheking'sevil, was 

See,   who   COmeS  beere?  inspired  with  the  gift  of  pro- 

MALCOLMS  fhe7'    '158   blessings, 

wv^v^w     *-,  'evidences  of  divine  favour, 

My  countryman;  but  yet  I  know  him  not.         cp. "eminence, wealth, sover- 

MACDUFFE  *%*"?>  Which,  to  say  sooth, 

.,  .  .  111  are  blessings"  Hen.8  II.3.29. 

My  ever  gentle  cozen,  welcome  hither!  SF159  speake, 'prove,' cp. 

MALCOLME  "HowethisgraceSpeakeshis 

T  1  ,   .  r>         1  r*      1    1      ..  ownestandin^"TimonI.I.30. 

1  know  him  now.   Uood  Lxod,  betimes  remove 

The  meanes  that  makes  us  strangers!  ^160  From  Malcolm's  ex- 

np»ccp  planationof  his  wordsin  v.  162 

it  would  seem  that  he  does 
bir,  amen  !  not  know  whether  Rosse  is 
to  be  trusted  or  not — the 
enemies  of  Macbeth  do  not  "know  themselves."  Other  interpretations  are  that  Malcolm 
fails  to  recognize  Rosse  because  of  the  distance  (Delius),  and  that  he  fails  to  recognize 
him  because  of  his  long  absence  from  Scotland  (Furness) :  the  first  quite  ignores  Mal- 
colm's own  explanation  ;  the  second  gives  "makes  us  strangers"  the  slightly  forced  mean- 
ing of  ' has  kept  me  away  from  Scotland.'  *1F  1 6 1  GENTLE,  ' courteous,' '  noble,'  cp.  note 
to  III. 2. 27.  Macduff's  hearty  welcome  of  Rosse  carries  us  back  to  their  last  meeting, 
Act  II,  Scene  IV,  and  tells  us  that  Rosse  is  no  longer  on  the  side  of  Macbeth  as  well  as 
reassures  Malcolm  of  his  fidelity.  SF  1 63  MEANES:  cp.  note  to  II.  4.  29.  MAKES  US 
STRANGERS,  'causes  us  to  act  in  such  an  unnatural  way,'  'makes  us  suspicious  of  one  an- 
other,' cp.  Macbeth's  "you  make  me  strange  Even  to  the  disposition  that  I  owe"  1 1 1. 4- 1 12. 

181 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  IV 


SCENE  III 


164-173 


In  this  passage,  as  in  the  former  one  and  in  Ado  II. 3-49?  the  words  carry  the  notion  of 
'suspicions.'     SIR,  probably  the  majesty  'sir,'  cp.  note  to  III. 4. 129. 

SF  165  KNOW  IT  SELFE,  'acknowledge  what  it  really  is,'  cp.  "know  yourself,  consider 
what  you  are,  in  re  descendas"  Phr.  Gen. ;  the  M.E.  sense 'confess,"  acknowledge,' N.  E.D.3b, 
was  probably  still  impliedly  present  in  many  of  the  idiomatic  uses  of  the  word.  Rosse  car- 
rieson  Malcolm's  notion  of 'knowing.'  *ff  1 66  WHERE,  'for  in  Scotland' ;  in  EL.  E.  "where" 
is  often  used  like  the  connec- 
tive relative.  NOTHING  does 
not  mean  'nobody'  as  it  has 
been  interpreted,  but  the  con- 
struction is  arrb  kolvov1  for 
SMILE  in  v.  167  has  its  EL. 
meaning  of  'prosper' as  v^ell 
as  that  of  MN.E.  'smile': 
i.e.  'where  nothing  prospers 
and  no  one  smiles  but  he 
who  knows  nothing.'  *lrl68 
RENT  is  a  e.  N.  E.  verb  mean- 
ing 'to  tear/usually  replaced  in 
MN.E.  by  '  rend';  cp.  "rent- 
ing his  face  with  his  nayles" 
Cooper.  SF  169  MADE:  to 
make  a  groan,  a  sigh,  a  shriek, 
etc.,  are  idiomatic  EL.  locu- 
tions in  which  the  verb  is 
now  replaced  by  'utter';  cp. 
Schmidt  s.v. '  make,'  and  "  he 
made  a  groan  at  it"  Per.  IV. 
2. 117.  SF  170  MODERNEin 
EL.  E.  often  means  'com- 
monplace,' cp.  "which  mod- 
erne  lamentation  might  have 
mov'd"  Rom.&Jul.  III. 2. 120 
(cited  by  Delius),  and  'That 
were  no  modern  conse- 
quence' Jonson's  Poetaster. 
EXTASIE,as  is  shown  by  "violent,"  has  much  the  same  meaning  as  in  III. 2. 22,  i.e.  fit  of 
mad  passion.  Rosse  says  that  no  more  importance  is  attached  to  it  than  to  the  ravings 
of  delirium.  DEADMAN'S  is  a  compound  word  in  EL.  E.,  often  hyphenated  and  often,  as 
here,  printed  as  one  word,  with  the  stress  deadman's;  it  survives  in  certain  place-names, 
see  N.  E.  D.  s.v.  and  cp.  "the  strait  passe  was  damm'd  with  deadmen"  Cym.  V.3- 1 1,  there 
cited.  "  Sickeman,"  found  in  Vicary,  E.  E.  T.  S.,  p.  1 6,  seems  to  be  another  such  compound. 
SF  171  FOR  WHO  is  one  of  those  bold  locutions  which,  while  violating  the  rules  of  gram- 
mar, logically  reflect  normal  development  of  language:  cp.  III.  1.25.  One  of  these  is 
still  preserved  in  the  colloquial  idiom  "Who  have  we  here?"  GOOD, 'brave,' cp.  note 
to  1.2.4.  SF  172  Shakspere  probably  refers  to  the  custom  of  decorating  the  bonnet 
with  sprigs  of  holly,  broom,  etc.,  assumed  as  badges  of  the  various  Scottish  clans ;  cp. 
Planche, '  British  Costume' p.  176.  EXPIRE:  it  must  be  remembered  that  a  'vegetative 
soul'  as  well  as  an  'emimal  soul'  played  an  important  part  in  the  biology  of  Shakspere's 
time;  cp.  'The  common  division  of  the  soul  is  into  three  principal  faculties,  vegetal, 
sensitive,  and  rational,  which  makes  three  distinct  kinds  of  living  creatures,  vegetal 
plants,  sensible  beasts,  rational  men.  .  .   Necessary  concomitants  or  affections  of  this 

182 


MACDUFFE 
Stands  Scotland  where  it  did? 

ROSSE 

Alas,  poore  countrey, 
Almost  affraid  to  know  it  selfe!    It  cannot 
Be  caird  our  mother,  but  our  grave;  where 

nothing 
But  who  knowes  nothing  is  once  seene  to 

smile; 
Where  sighes  and  groanes  and  shrieks  that 

, rent  the  ayre 
Are  made,  not  mark'd;  where  violent  sorrow 

seemes 
A  moderne  extasie:  the  deadman's  knell 
Is  there  scarse  ask'd  for  who;    and   good 

men's  lives 
Expire  before  the  flowers  in  their  caps, 
Dying  or  ere  they  sicken. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


vegetal  faculty  are  life  and  death/  etc.,  Burton,  'Anat.  of  Mel.'  1. 1.25.  Herbert,  1634, 
reflects  the  same  notion  in  "  Palmeto  .  .  is  a  soft  pith  in  which  consists  the  soule  and  vege- 
tative virtue  of  that  tree,  which  cut  out  the  tree  expires"  (cited  in  N.  E.D. 'expire' 5  b). 
Shakspere's  " expire,"  therefore,  and  "sicken,"  below,  are  applicable  to  both  plants  and 

men.     *ff  1 73  OR  ERE, 'even 

ACT  IV  SCENE  III 


173-180 


MACDUFFE 

Oh,  relation 
Too  nice,  and  yet  too  true! 
MALCOLME 
What's  the  newest  griefe? 
ROSSE 
That  of  an  houres  age  doth  hisse  the  speaker : 
Each  minute  teemes  a  new  one. 
MACDUFFE 

How  does  my  wife? 
ROSSE 
r,  well. 

MACDUFFE 
And  all  my  children? 
ROSSE 

Well  too. 
MACDUFFE 
The  tyrant  has  not  batter'd  at  their  peace? 

ROSSE 
No;    they  were    wel    at   peace   when    I    did 
leave  'em. 

MACDUFFE 
Be  not  a  niggard  of  your  speech  :  how  goes  rt? 


before,'  a  doubled  form  of 
"ere"  current  in  M.E.  and 
e.N.E.,  and  often  confused 
with  "  or  e'er,"  the  contracted 
form  of  'or  ever.' 


*ffl73  OH:  the  distinction 
between  "Oh"  and  "O"  is 
not  made  in  EL.  printing. 
RELATION,  'report,'  as  fre- 
quently in  EL.  E. ;  cp.  "  I  will 
believe  thee  and  make  my 
senses  credite  thy  relation" 
Per.  V.I.  123.  SF  174  NICE, 
'accurate,'  with  the  notion 
of  'fanciful,'  'sophisticated.' 
Macduff  alludes  to  Rosse's 
flower  metaphor.  Rosse's 
Why    well.  fondness  for  poetic  and  grace- 

ful verbiage  is  evident  all 
through  the  play;  cp.  Act  I, 
Sc.  Ill,  Act  II,  Sc.  IV,  etc. 
Though  he  rarely  appears 
in  the  play,  Shakspere  con- 
trivestoimpressusso  sharply 
with  his  character  that  Mac- 
duff's epithet,  "ever  gentle," 
i.e.  always  courteous,  always 
a  gentleman,  seems  to  fit  him 
exactly.  For  WHAT'S 'what 
is'  may  have  been  intended, 
making  the  verse  one  of  six 
waves.  The  FO.  prints  Oh 
.  .  true  as  one  verse.  NEW- 
EST,'latest,' cp.  note  to  1.2.3. 
<1F  175  OF  AN  HOURES  AGE: 
cp.  "but  of  a  minute  old  "  Cym.  II.  5-31-  HISSE  :  the  idiom  is  now  usually  'hiss  at,'  see 
N.E.D.  s.v.  SPEAKER, 'reporter,' cp.  note  to  v.  154.  SF  176  TEEMES, 'gives  birth  to,' 
cp.  "The  earth  obey'd  and  strait  Op'ning  her  fertile  woomb  teem'd  at  a  birth  Innumerous 
living  creatures"  Milton, 'Paradise  Lost' VII.  454.  H  177  CHILDREN  :  three  syllables, 
cp.  note  to  1.5.40.  SF 178  BATTER'D  AT,  'laid  siege  to,'  cp.  "batter,  to  play  upon  with 
ordnance  "  Baret's  Alvearie.  Macduff  is  thinking  of  his  family  as  protected  by  the  defences 
of  his  strong  castle.  It  179  WEL  AT  PEACE:  the  truth  of  Rosse's  equivocal  answer  de- 
pends upon  the  fact  that  "well"  is  used  euphemistically  in  EL.  E.  of  the  dead  ;  cp.  "we  use 
To  say  [i.e.  are  in  the  habit  of  saying]  the  dead  are  well"  Ant.  &C1.  II.  5. 32  (cited  by  Steevens). 
"At  peace"  is  still  so  used  in  MN.E.,  but  not  "well."  *1F  180  Macduff's  suspicions  are 
aroused  by  the  brevity  of  Rosse's  answers,  cp.  "niggard  of  question"  Ham. III.  1. 13. 
*1F  181    TRANSPORT  in  EL.  E.  is  used  of  carrying  news,  messages,  terms,  etc. ;  cp.  "Which 

183 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


[i.e.  the  terms]  .  .  shall  be  transported  presently  to  France"  lHen.6  V.  I  -  39T  and  "Might 
not  you  transport  her  purposes  by  word?"  Lear  IV. 5- 19-  SFI82  HEAVILY:  cp.  uhcec 
tristia  dicta  reportat,  he  bringeth  this  heavie  aunswere"  Cooper.  The  word  is  probably 
syncopated  to  'heav'ly':  "easly"  is  a  constantly  recurring  form  of  'easily'  in  EL.  texts. 
«JF  183  WORTHY  in  M.E.  means  'able/  'strong/  'possessing  power  or  wealth/  and  much 
of  this  earlier  meaning  clung 

to  the  word  in  Shakspere's  ACTIV  SCENE    III  181  -  195 

time.  OUTr'awaytrom  home/ 

a   common   meaning    of    the  d/^ccc 

adverb  in  EL.  E. ;  this  usage  ROSSE 

easily   passed   into    'under     When  I  came  hither  to  transport  the  tydings, 

Which    I   have  heavily  borne,   there   ran  a 


arms,'  like  our  MN.E.  'up 
'out  in  '45/  £•£•  in  the  Jacobite 
rebellion  of  1745,  still  pre- 
serves this  sense  of  the  word, 
as  does  also  'call  out  the  mi- 
litia.' SF  184  WITN EST, 'at- 
tested/ still  preserved  in  the 
phrase  'witnesseth  his  hand 
and  seal'  THE  RATHER 
.  .  FOR  THAT,  'the  more 
strongly  because/  cp.  "  Let 
me  aske  The  rather  for  I 
now  must  make  you  know" 
Meas.I.4.2I.  <ff  185  POWER, 
'troops/  an  association  of 
ideas  like  that  in  the  Latin 
copia:  cp.  v.  236.  SF  186 
TIME  OF  HELPE  seems  to 
mean  'opportunity  for  mili- 
tary aid  to  be  sent' ;  "helpe" 
in  EL.  E.  sometimes  means 
'allies/  cp.  "  Now  if  the  helpe 
of  Norfolke  and  my  selfe  .  . 
Will  but  amount  to  five  and 
twenty  thousand"  3Hen.6  II. 
1. 178  (cited  in  N.  E.  D.  3  b). 
EYE,  'presence/  cp.  "she  .  . 
is  banish'd  from  your  eye" 
Temp.  II.  I.  126,  and  "We 
shall  expresse  our  dutie  in  his 
eye"  Ham.  IV. 4. 6.  InN.E.'D. 
the  word  is  said  to  occur  with 
this  sense  only  in  phrases,  but 
Shakspere  seems  here  to  use 


rumour 
Of  many  worthy  fellowes  that  were  out; 
Which  was  to  my  beleefe  witnest  the  rather 
For  that  I  saw  the  tyrant's  power  a-foot: 
Now    is    the    time    of    helpe;    your    eye    in 

Scotland 
Would  create   soldiours,   make   our  women 

fight, 

To  doffe  their  dire  distresses. 
MALCOLME 

Bee  ft  their  comfort 
We  are  comming  thither:  gracious  England 

hath 
Lent   us  good    Seyward   and   ten   thousand 

men; 
An  older  and  a  better  souldier  none 
That  Christendome  gives  out. 
ROSSE 

Would  I  could  answer 
This    comfort   with    the  like!     But   I   have 

words 
That  would  be  howl'd  out  in  the  desert  ayre, 
Where  hearing  should  not  latch  them. 


it  absolutely.  IF  188  DOFFE 
(i.e.  do  off), 'put  away/ N.E.D.  3-  189  ENGLAND, 'the  King  of  England/ cp.  v.  43-  SF  191 
NONE,  'there  is  none/ the  EL.  omission  of  subject  and  predicate  with  the  syntax  noted  in 
v.  50.  IF  192  GIVES  OUT  is  still  used  in  this  sense  of  'report.'  SF  195  LATCH  is  an 
e.N.E.  word  for  'catch':  in  Sonn.  CXIII  the  eye  is  said  to  latch  a  form;  cp.  also  "By 
hearing  we  know  one  sound  from  another,  for  a  sound  .  .  latch'd  by  the  outward  eare  .  . 
is  conveyed  to  the  inbred  aire  [i.e.  ear — an  interesting  commentary  on  the  possibility 
of  "shag-ear'd"  being  a  mistake  for  'shag-hair'd'  in  IV. 2. 83]"  Comenius's  Janua,  330. 

184 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  IV 


SCENE  III 


195-210 


<ff  1 95  It  is  possible  that  WHAT  CONCERNE  THEY  THE  GENERALL  CAUSE  is  the 
first  member  of  a  double  question,  since  WHAT  is  frequently  used  in  EL.  E.  as  an  untrans- 
latable interrogative  particle 
without  pronominal  force  and 
practically  equivalent  to  the 
Latin  ne.  Sometimes  this  EL. 
'what'  is  understood  by  the 
modern  editor  as  a  particle  of 
exclamation  expressing  sur- 
prise :  one  of  these  occurs  in 
Ham.  1. 1. 19,  "  What  is  Hora- 
tio there?"  where  there  can 
be  no  surprise  felt  by  the 
speaker,  who  is  expecting 
Horatio.  But  as  FO.  I  prints 
a  commaafterTHEY  themod- 
ern  punctuation  is  here  fol- 
lowed. SF  196  FEE-GRIEFE 
seems  to  be  made  upon  the 
analogy  of  " fee-farm"  (cp. 
Tro.&Cr.  III.  2.  53),  "fee- 
buck,"  "  fee-penny,"  etc., 
where  "fee"  denotes  a  grant 
for  some  particular  service. 
Macduff  jokingly  says,  *  Who 
is  so  fortunate  as  to  deserve 
this  special  favour?'  SF  197 
The  omitted  subject  and  pred- 
icate again:  'There  is  no 
honest  heart  but  has  a  share 
in  the  woe  which  I  shall  tell,' 
referring  to  Macduff's  "gen- 
erall  cause."  <lr  202  POS- 
SESSE,  'make  owner  of,'  a 
sense  of  the  word  now  some- 
what rare.  SF  203  HUMH! 
Modern  editors  print  'hum  ! ' 
which  N.E.  D.  gives  as  a  by- 
form  of  'humph';  but  the 
latter  form  dates  from  1 68 1, 
and  the  meaning,  'doubt  or 
dissatisfaction,'  does  not  at  all 
fit  this  passage.  "  Humh"  is 
probably  the  modern  inter- 
jection of  despair  that  is  not 
represented  in  the  literary 
language,  but  is  a  sound  made 
by  a  groan  of  anguish,  a  re- 
laxed vocal  utterance  with 
labial  or  nasal  colouring  ac- 
cording as  the  lips  are  closed 
or  left  open  at  the  end  of  it :  quite  different  from  the  short  grunt  of  dissatisfaction  ex- 
pressed by 'humph!'    The  same  interjection  occurs  in  Oth.  V. 2.36,  uOth.  Humh!    ©es. 

185 


MACDUFFE 

What  concerne  they? 
The  generall  cause?  or  is  it  a  fee-griefe 
Due  to  some  single  brest? 
ROSSE 
No  minde  that's  honest 
But  in  it  shares  some  woe ;  though  the  maine 

part 
Pertaines  to  you  alone. 

MACDUFFE 

If  it  be  mine 
Keepe  it  not  from  me,  quickly  let  me  have  it. 

ROSSE 
Let  not  your  eares  dispise  my  tongue  for  ever, 
Which  shall  possesse  them  with  the  heaviest 

sound 
That  ever  yet  they  heard. 

MACDUFFE 

Humh!  I  guesse  at  it. 
ROSSE 
Your  castle  is  surpriz'd ;  your  wife  and  babes 
Savagely  slaughter'd:  to  relate  the  manner, 
Were  on  the  quarry  of  these  murther'd  deere 
To  adde  the  death  of  you. 
MALCOLME 

Mercifull  heaven! 
What,  man!   ne  re  pull  your  hat  upon  your 

browes ; 
Give  sorrow  words:   the  griefe  that  does  not 

speake 
Whispers  the  o're-fraught  heart  and  bids  it 
breake. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


And  yet  I  feare  you:  for  you're  fatall  then  When  your  eyes  rowle  so."  SF  205  MAN- 
NER: cp.  "she  is  dead  and  by  strange  manner"  Cass.  IV. 3- 189-  SF  206  QUARRY,  'heap 
of  slaughtered  game/ cp.  note  to  1.2. 14.  SF  207  DEATH  OF  YOU, 'your  own  death' : 
the  prepositional  form  of  the  genitive  is  frequently  used  in  EL.  E.  where  MN.E.  prefers 
the  adjective  pronoun.  One  of  these  idioms  is  still  preserved  in  'it  will  be  the  death  of 
me.'  SF  208  Shakspere  so  frequently  describes  gestures  and  action  in  his  dialogue  that 
we  can  almost  see  the  play  as  we  read  it.  Pulling  the  hat  over  the  brows  seems  to  have 
been  in  his  time  a  mark  of  desperation,  cp.  "with  your  hat  penthouse  like  ore  the  shop  of 
your  eies"  L.L.L.  III.  1. 17,  and  "How  melancholly  doth  he  sit  with  his  hat  like  a  pent- 
house over  the  shop  of  his  eyes"  Poor  Robin's  Hue  and  Cry  after  Honey  (cited  from 
Halliwell's  note  on  the  L.L.L.  passage).  SF  209  SPEAKE  in  EL.  E.  rhymes  with  BREAKE, 
cp.  note  to  1. 1.6.  SF2I0  WH I SPERS,' whispers  to,' cp.  "whisper  her  eare  and  tell  her"  Ado 
III.  I.  4.      O'RE-FRAUGHT, 

ACT  IV  SCENE  III 


'over-freighted,'  'over-laden.' 
Collier  thought  that  Shak- 
spere had  in  mind  a  couplet  of 
Florio's  translating  Seneca's 
"curce  leves  loquuntur,  in- 
gentes  stupent"  Montaigne's 
Essays,  1.2,  viz.  "light  cares 
can  freely  speake,  G  reat  cares 
heart  rather  breake."  But  the 
expression  may  have  been 
proverbial ;  it  occurs  several 
times  couched  in  varying 
phraseology  in  Bodenham's 
Belvedere. 

<1F2I2  I  MUST,  etc.,  i.e.  I 
had  to  be  absent;  "must"  is 
originally  a  past  tense.  SF2I3 
I  HAVE  SAID,  'I  said  so,'  is 
an  instance  of  an  absolute 
use  of  'say'  now  obsolete. 
It  occurs  in  Ant.&Cl.  III. 2. 
34;  cp.  also  "You  have  said, 
but  whether  wisely  or  no  let 
the  forrest  judge"  A.Y.L. 
III. 2. 129.  "Thou hast sayd," 
the  Authorized  translation  of 
gv  tmnc  [i.e.  you  have  said 
so]  in  Matt.  XXVI.  64,  pre- 
serves the  same  phrase,  and 
is  idiomatic  EL.  E.,  not  a 
G recism.  SF  2 1 4  US,  i.e.  for  ourselves,  the  reflexive  use  of  the  personal  pronoun.  *ff  2 1 5 
CURE,  'assuage' ;  it  must  be  remembered  that  "cure"  in  EL. E.  means  'to  treat  with  the 
purpose  of  healing,'  and  not  necessarily  to  succeed  in  the  treatment  as  it  does  in  MN.E., 
cp.  N.E.D.  3  and  "To  cure,  to  heale,  to  help,  medico',  loathing  of  meat  is  eased  and 
cured  with  some  bitter  thing,  cibi  satietas  atque  fastidium  subamara  aliqua  re  relevatur" 
Baret's  Alvearie.  Malcolm's  words  "cure"  and  "deadly"  are  therefore  not  necessarily 
contradictory.  DEADLY, 'killing,' 'mortal,' as  usually  in  EL. E.  IF 21 6  It  has  been  the 
subject  of  much  dispute  whether  Macduff  means  that  Macbeth  has  no  children  and  there- 
fore cannot  feel  the  bitterness  of  a  father's  revenge,  or  simply  remarks  that  Malcolm  is 

186 


21  I  —219 

MACDUFFE 
My  children,  too? 

ROSSE 

Wife,  children,  servants,  all 
That  could  be  found. 

MACDUFFE 
And  I  must  be  from  thence! 
My  wife  kil'd  too? 

ROSSE 

I  have  said. 

MALCOLME 

Be  comforted: 
Let  Ts  make  us  med'cines  of  our  gjreat  revenue. 
To  cure  this  deadly  greefe. 

MACDUFFE 
He  has  no  children.     All  my  pretty  ones? 
Did  you  say  all?    O  hell-kite!    All? 
What,  all  my  pretty  chickens  and  their  damme 
At  one  fell  swoope? 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


too  young  to  understand  the  depth  of  a  father's  grief.  But  it  is  hardly  likely  that  the 
ordinary  reader  of  Shakspere  would  have  hesitated  to  refer  Macduff's  words  to  Macbeth, 
coming  as  they  do  after  Malcolm's  suggestion  of  a  bitter  revenge  and  followed  as  they 
are  by  the  epithet  M  hell-kite,"  if  Shakspere  editors  had  not  suggested  the  difficulty.  For 
Macduff  to  pause  between  these  two  thoughts  and  turn  to  Rosse  with  the  artificial  remark 
that  Malcolm  has  no  children  might  be  a  'literary'  touch,  but  is  surely  not  a  human  one. 
Even  had  he  done  so,  the  audience  would  have  to  know  beforehand  that  Rosse  was  a 
father  too  in  order  to  make  Macduff's  turn  to  him  for  sympathy  at  all  natural,  and  the 
audience  has  had  no  means  of  being  sure  of  this.  That  Macbeth  has  a  son  according  to 
one  of  the  Scottish  traditions  does  not  interfere  with  Shakspere's  making  him  childless 
here  ;  and  even  if  there  were  such  a  tradition  in  Holinshed,  Shakspere  need  not  have  used 
it.  He  has  prepared  for  such  a  situation  as  this  by  Macbeth's  bitter  speech  about  the 
"barren  scepter"  and  the  "unlineall  hand,"  showing  the  deep  yearning  for  fatherhood  in 
the  man  and  thus  making  us  realize  how  terrible  Macduff's  revenge  would  have  been  had 
not  fate  put  it  beyond  his  power  to  wreak  it.  Macduff's  thought  is  not  that  Malcolm 
cannot  understand  his  grief  (Malcolm's  'deadly'  is  clear  enough  evidence  to  the  con- 
trary), but  that  no  revenge  on 


ACT  IV 


SCENE  III 


220-229 


MALCOLME 
Dispute  it  like  a  man. 

MACDUFFE 

I  shall  do  so; 

But  I  must  also  feele  it  as  a  man: 

I  cannot  but  remember  such  things  were, 

That  were  most  precious  to  me.     Did  heaven 
looke  on, 

And   would    not   take    their    part?     Sinfull 
Macduff, 

They  were  all  strooke  for  thee !     Naught  that 
I  am, 

Not  for  their  owne  demerits,  but  for  mine, 

Fell  slaughter  on  their  soules.     Heaven  rest 
them  now! 

MALCOLME 

Be  this  the  whetstone  of  your  sword:   let 
griefe 

Convert  to  anger:   blunt  not  the  heart,  en- 
rage it. 

on  thy  account.  NAUGHT, 
'wicked,'  a  common  EL.  meaning  of  the  word  that  is  preserved  with  weakened  force  in 
MN.E.  'naughty';  cp.  "crooked,  shrewd,  evill,  naught,  pravus ;  naughtie  and  horrible, 
nefastum  et  dirum"  Baret's  Alvearie.  SF  229  CONVERT  TO,  'change  its  nature  and  be- 
come,' a  meaning  of  the  phrase  current  in  the  1 6th  and  1 7th  centuries,  cp.  N.E.D.  II  e. 

187 


Macbeth  can  be  adequate  to 
assuage  it.  *ff  218  DAMME, 
'mother,'  in  EL.  E.  is  not  re- 
stricted to  quadrupeds  as  it 
is  in  MN.E.,  cp.  the  citation 
fromTopsell,  1 607, in  N.  E.  D. : 
"the  duckling  the  first  day 
[can]  swim  in  the  water  with 
his  dam." 

^220  DISPUTE,  'oppose,' 
'strive  against,'  N.  E.D. 6  ;  in 
EL.  E.  the  word  was  not  re- 
stricted to  argumentation. 
The  sentence  stress  is  "  I 
shall  do  so,"  cp.  also  1 1 .4. 1 8  : 
similar  stress  is  still  some- 
times heard  in  colloquial  Eng- 
lish. *ff  225  STROOKE  is  the 
EL.  form  of  the  participle  be- 
fore its  u  was  shortened  to 
u  and  developed  to  a  as  in 
MN.E.  In  EL.  E.  the  word 
was  used  of  'smiting  by  a 
mysterious  power,'  cp.  "I 
shall  meet  him  like  a  basilisk 
and  strike  him"  Fletcher's 
False  One,  IV.  2  (cited  in 
Cent.  Diet.).  MN.E.' strick- 
en "  still  retains  a  shade  of 
this  meaning.    FOR  THEE, i.e. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


by  its  entry  in  proper  place 
in  EL. dictionaries  with  melos 
as  a  gloss,  as,  e.g.,  in  Holyoke 
and  Coles;  cp.  also  "a  won- 
der to  her  time,  in  which  she 
did  nothing  out  of  time " 
Grisell,'ed.  Per.Soc, 
'The  motions  of  the 
spheres  are  out  of  time " 
Massinger's  Roman  Actor 
(cited  by  Delius) ;  "  Some  few 
lines  set  unto  a  solemn  time" 
Fletcher'sFalseOne,I.2  ;and 
"  I  must  fit  all  these  times  or 
there's   no   music"    Middle 


SF232    INTERMISSION,  'respite/  cp.  "They  .  .  Afresh  with  conscious  terrors  vex  me 

round  That  rest -or  intermission  none  I  find"  'Paradise  Lost'  11.802  (cited  in  N.E.D.). 

SF  233    FIEND  in  EL.E.  carries  with  it  the  notion  of  'monster'  as  well  as  of 'demon.'     *TF  235 

TIME, 'tune, "measure' :  the 

Cambridge  text  and  all  mod-       ACT    jy  SCENE    III  230-240 

ern  editors  assume  that  the  ' 

word  is  a  misprint  for 'tune.' 

But  "time"  is  an  EL.  word  MACDUFFE 

for 'tune,' as  is  clearly  shown      Q,  I  could  play  the  woman  with  mine  eyes 

And  braggart  with  my  tongue !     But,  gentle 

heavens. 

Cut  short  all  intermission;   front  to  front 

Bring  thou  this  fiend  of  Scotland  and  my  selfe; 

'PatientGrisell/ed.Per.Soc,  Within  my  sword's  length  set  him;  if  he 
p.  15;  "The  motions  of  the 

scape, 
Heaven  forgive  him  too! 

MALCOLME 

This  time  goes  manly. 
Come,  go  we  to  the  king ;  our  power  is  ready ; 
ton's  Chaste  Maid,  11. 3  (cited      Our  lacke  is  nothing  but  our  leave :  Macbeth 
in  Cent.  Diet.).    In  Ham.  in.      \s  ripe  for  shaking,  and  the  powres  above 

I.  166     the    QOS.    all     read       t-»  1      •        •      .  r>  1 

"Like  sweet  bells  jangled  out      Put  on    their    instruments.     Receive    what 

of  time,"  which   the   fos.  cheere  you  may: 

change  to  "out  of  tune"  and       j^         .  {  h  f  ^^  ^    , 

modern  editors  improve  into  00  J 

'Like    sweet    bells   jangled;  EXEUNT 

out  of  tune  and  harsh.'      In 

Tw.N.  II. 3. 100  "time"  seems  to  have  the  same  meaning  as  here,  but  has  been  allowed 
to  stand  by  most  modern  editors.  It  is  apparent  from  these  illustrations  that  the  dis- 
tinction between  melody  and  rhythm  was  not  sharply  drawn  in  EL.E.,  and  in  view  of  this 
it  is  best  to  let  the  "time"  of  FO.  I  remain  in  the  text.  MANLY:  in  EL.E.  adjectives  end- 
ing in  -ly  are  used  as  adverbs  without  change  of  form,  e.g.  "everi  sonet  orderly  pointed" 
Robinson's  Handeful  of  Pleasant  Delites,  title-page.  Malcolm's  reference  is,  of  course, 
to  "play  the  woman"  (as  on  an  instrument)  in  v. 230.  *1F236  POWER, 'army,' as  above, 
v.  185;  cp.  "a  power  of  Danes  arrive  at  Kingcorne  "  Holinshed,  ed.  Boswell-Stone,  p.  21. 
SF237  OUR  LACKE,  i.e.  what  we  lack,  with  a  suggestion  of  the  meaning  'absence  of  a 
person,'  making  the  phrase  epigrammatic.  LEAVE,  'royal  permission  to  depart'  or 'final 
audience  with  the  king,'  cp.  N.  E.  D.  SF  239  PUT  ON  has  its  EL.  meaning  of  '  set  to  work,' 
cp.  "Wee'l  put  on  those  shall  praise  your  excellence"  Ham.  IV. 7. 132.  Divine  vengeance 
is  ripe  and  the  powers  above  are  setting  the  scene  for  the  final  catastrophe,  the  deep  con- 
sequence into  which  the  'instruments  of  darkness'  have  betrayed  Macbeth.  SF  240  It  is 
perhaps  worth  recalling  that  the  thought  which  closes  the  scene  and  forecasts  the  ultimate 
consequence  is  the  same  thought  that  Macbeth  gives  utterance  to  when  he  embarks  on  his 
career  of  bloodshed:  "Time  and  the  houre  runs  through  the  thickest  day." 


188 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

Act  III  pictures  the  internal  catastrophe  of  the  tragedy;  Act  V  will  portray  the  external 
catastrophe;  Act  IV  links  the  two  together.  The  internal  Nemesis  is  Banquo's  avenging 
minister;  the  external  Nemesis  is  Macduff.  The  chief  points  of  interest  of  the  succes- 
sive acts  of  the  drama  are  thus  Macbeth,  Duncan,  Banquo,  Macduff,  Malcolm.  In  Act  IV  it 
is  the  fear  of  Macduff,  as  in  Act  III  it  was  the  dread  of  Banquo,  that  is  the  central  theme. 
The  act  begins  with  the  witches'  'harping  this  fear  aright' ;  it  goes  on  to  Macbeth's  deter- 
mination to  remove  its  cause  that  he  may  'sleep  in  spite  of  thunder,'  his  failure,  and  the 
revenge  he  will  wreak  by  crushing  Macduff's  family.  Scene  II  portrays  the  execution  of 
this  vindictive  purpose  ;  Scene  III  pictures  the  working  of  the  consequence  that  Macbeth 
has  failed  to  'trammel  up'  and  its  leading  on  to  the  final  catastrophe  of  Act  V.  This  last 
scene  we  have  called  a  chorus  connecting  Acts  IV  and  V :  but  perhaps  some  word  of 
qualification  is  necessary.  The  formal  interest  of  a  chorus — viz.  that  the  actors  in  it  shall 
not  be  participators  in  the  tragedy — is  lacking  here,  but  the  essential  chorus  interest  is  ob- 
served :  for  the  main  purpose  of  a  chorus  is  to  sum  up  the  action  which  precedes  and 
focus  it  upon  what  follows,  and  this  function  Scene  III  subserves.  Although  its  actors 
are  involved  in  the  play  itself,  and  perhaps  more  intimately  involved  than  in  the  previous 
chorus  scenes,  yet  they  are  during  its  course  spectators  as  well,  reviewing  its  action  and 
forecasting  its  development.  This  is  clearly  brought  out  by  Malcolm's  words  at  the  end 
of  the  scene:  "Macbeth  Is  ripe  for  shaking,  and  the  powres  above  Put  on  their  instru- 
ments." He  and  Macduff  thus  picture  themselves  as  the  instruments  of  a  divine  vengeance 
rather  than  as  individuals  seeking  their  own  selfish  ends. 

Act  V  presents  the  conclusion  of  the  drama  in  a  triple  aspect  which  it  will  be  well  for 
the  reader  to  bear  in  mind  when  he  begins  to  study  it — viz.  the  end  of  Lady  Macbeth,  the 
end  of  Macbeth,  and  the  end  of  the  Scottish  interregnum  of  blood  and  tyranny.  Around 
these  subjects  have  been,  as  it  were,  the  current  interests  of  the  play,  eddying  now  about 
one  theme,  now  about  another,  but  always  moving  toward  a  final  goal. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  I  OF  ACT  V 

The  sleep-walking  scene  is  one  of  the  most  striking  of  the  whole  play.  It  not  only 
gives  us  a  notion  of  the  mental  torture  which  Lady  Macbeth  suffers,  but  represents  to 
us  as  in  a  mirror  the  action  of  Acts  II  and  III.  No  device  could  be  more  skilful :  for  the 
new  events  which  attend  the  flight  of  Macduff  and  the  murder  of  his  family  are  in  danger 
of  absorbing  all  our  sympathies  and  turning  the  main  current  of  interest  from  Macbeth  to 
Macduff  and  Malcolm.  It  serves  another  purpose,  too,  for  it  brings  us  back  to  Lady 
Macbeth  herself,  who  has  slipped  out  of  the  drama  during  the  preceding  act.  We  have 
already  pointed  out  how  she  is  involved  in  the  internal  catastrophe  of  Act  III:  but  the 
play  would  lack  symmetry  were  she  not  involved  in  its  external  Nemesis  as  well.  This 
fifth  act  has  a  score  to  even  for  her  as  well  as  for  Macbeth. 


189 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


THE    FIFT    ACT 


SCENE  I:  DUNSINANE:  ANTE-ROOM  IN  THE  CASTLE 
ENTER  A  DOCTOR  OF  PHYSICKE  AND  A 

WAYTING  GENTLEWOMAN  I -15 


DOCTOR 
HAVE  too  nights  watch'd  with  you,  but   can 
perceive  no  truth  in  your  report.    When  was  it 
shee  last  walk'd? 

GENTLEWOMAN 
Since  his  Majesty  went  into  the  field,  I  have 
seene  her  rise  from  her  bed,  throw  her  night- 
gown uppon  her,  unlocke  her  closset,  take  foorth 
paper,  folde  it,  write  upon  't,  read  it,  afterwards 
seale  it,  and  againe  returne  to  bed;  yet  all  this 
while  in  a  most  fast  sleepe. 

DOCTOR 
A  great  perturbation  in  nature,  to  receyve  at 
once  the  benefit  of  sleep,  and  do  the  effects 
of  watching!  In  this  slumbry  agitation,  be- 
sides her  walking  and  other  actuall  perform- 
ances, what,  at  any  time,  have  you  heard 


The  place  direction  is,  of 
course,  a  modern  addition. 
DOCTOR  OF  PHYSICKE  dis- 
tinguishes the  physician  from 
the  doctor  of  IV.  3.  129,  who 
seems  to  be  a  doctor  in  the 
sense  of  'learned  man/  N.  E. 
D.  4  or  5?  such  as  James  I 
gathered  about  him.  *IF  I 
WATCH'D  in   EL.E.  implies 


ier 


say 


sitting    up    at    night,  cp.  II. 

•--2. 71.  SF  3  WALK'D  :  the  word  is  common  in  EL.E.  to  denote  unconscious  locomotion,  and 
does  not  need  a  qualifying  phrase' in  her  sleep'asin  MN.E.  SF4  WENT  INTOTHE  FIELD  : 
Steevens,  supposing  that  Macbeth  was  besieged  in  his  castle  of  Dunsinane,  found  a  con- 
tradiction in  these  words.  But  Holinshed  tells  us  :  u  Heere  upon  issued  oftentimes  sundrie 
bickerings  and  diverse  light  skirmishes  ;  for  these  that  were  of  Malcolme's  side  would  not 
jeopard  to  joine  with  their  enemies  in  a  pight  [i.e.  pitched]  field  .  .  But  after  Macbeth  per- 
ceived his  enemies  power  to  increase  by  such  aid  as  came  to  them  foorth  of  [i.e.  out  of] 
England  with  his  adversarie  Malcolme,  he  recoiled  back  into  Fife,  there  purposing  to  abide 
in  campe  fortified  at  the  castell  of  Dunsinane"  ed.  Boswell-Stone,  p.  41.  The  time  of  this 
scene  is  therefore  just  before  the  arrival  of  the  English  power,  and  antecedent  to  that  of  Scene 

"II.  SF5  NIGHT-GOWN,  a  night-robe  or  dressing-gown,  as  in  1 1. 2.  70.  SF  6  A  CLOSSET 
in  EL.E.  was  a  writing-desk  or  cabinet,  N.E. D. 3  a;  cp.  "I  have  lock'd  the  letter  in  my 
closset"  Lear  III. 3. II.  SF  7  To  FOLDE  a  paper  seems  to  have  been  a  preliminary  to 
writing  a  letter,  the  folding  marking  margins  ;  cp.  "  I  have  accustomed  those  great  persons 
that  know  me  to  endure  blots,  blurs,  dashes,  and  botches  in  my  letters,  and  a  sheete  with- 

190 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

out  folding  or  margine"  Florio's  Montaigne,  1. 39-  Lady  Macbeth  writes  no  letter  in  the 
play.  But  it  is  possible  that  Shakspere  means  to  imply  here  that  the  first  suggestion  of 
the  murder  of  Duncan  was  conveyed  by  a  letter  from  Lady  Macbeth  to  her  husband.  In  - 
1.5.57  Lady  Macbeth  has  received  "letters"  from  Macbeth  in  the  interval  between  Scenes 
IV  and  V  of  Act  I,  though  only  one  letter  appears  in  the  action  :  1.5-25  points  to  the  thought 
of  Duncan's  murder  as  being  already  in  Macbeth's  mind,  and  to  his  having  expressed 
scruples  about  it,  yet  lending  himself  to  the  act.  And  "Chastise  with  the  valour  of  my 
tongue"  may  imply  that  Lady  Macbeth's  pen  has  been  at  work  already,  her  "high  thee 
hither"  expressing  her  impatience  for  him  to  get  near  enough  for  her  to  pour  her  spirits 
in  his  ear.  It  is  quite  possible  that  this  was  Shakspere's  conception  of  the  situation,  and 
that  the  Elizabethan  actor  expressed  it  by  the  way  in  which  he  read  the  letter  which  opens 
Scene  V  of  Act  I,  and  the  stress  he  put  upon  the  word  'tongue'  in  1.5.28.  In  1.7.47  ff.  the 
plot  seems  to  have  been  in  the  minds  of  Macbeth  and  Lady  Macbeth  longer  than  has  been 
represented  on  the  stage.  On  the  other  hand,  Lady  Macbeth's  act  maybe  one  of  those  im- 
plications, so  common  in  Shakspere,  which  throw  new  light  back  upon  an  action  long  after  it 
has  passed  the  attention,  to  give  it  a  richer  value  in  the  completed  picture.  Either  explana- 
tion saves  us  from  the  necessity  of  considering  this  letter-writing  of  Lady  Macbeth's  as 
merely  a  casual  and  unrelated  act  mentioned  by  her  attendant  as  a  symptom  of  sleep-walk- 
ing. Nor  would  Shakspere  in  a  scene  like  this  be  likely  to  represent  the  action  of  receiving 
a  letter  by  the  act  of  writing  one,  as  has  been  suggested.  We  may  see  here  also  Shakspere's 
vivid  psychology  :  the  fact  that  her  husband  is  absent  and  that  she  is  anxious  for  his  safety 
produces  the  "  perturbation,"  and  she  repeats,  step  by  step,  the  experience  of  that  other  criti- 
cal  time  when  her  husband  was  absent  and  she  was  anxious  about  him.  SF  9  MOST  in  M.  E. 
and  e.  N.  E.  was  more  frequently  used  with  monosyllabic  adjectives  to  make  the  superlative 
than  it  is  now.  FAST,  'sound,'  now  used  only  in  the  phrase  'fast  asleep.'  SF  10  The 
doctor  uses  professional  language:  PERTURBATION  is  the  term  used  for 'anxiety,'  'sor- 
row' in  Burton's  Anat.  of  Mel.  SF  1 1  DO  THE  EFFECTS  OF  is  an  EL.  phrase  meaning 
'perform  the  acts  associated  with' ;  cp.  "You  say  you  love  me  and  yet  do  the  effectes  of 
enmitie"  Sidney's  Arcadia,  p.  254,  and  "the  verie  horses,  angrie  in  their  maister's  anger, 
with  love  and  obedience  brought  foorth  the  effects  of  hate  and  resistance"  ibid.,  p.  268. 
H  12  WATCHING, 'waking,' cp.v.  I  and  "though  it  cost  mee  ten  nights' watchings"  Ado  II. 

1.386.  SLUMBRY,'occurring 

APT    V  CfPNP    1  lA0f>      in  sleeP/°neof  theEL.adjec- 

A^  1      V  S^CINE,     1  10-2U       tivesin.^.    AGITATION, 'ac- 

tivity,' not'mentala^itation' : 
GENTLEWOMAN  cp.N.  E.D.I.     IF13ACTU- 

That,  sir,  which  I  will  not  report  after  her.      all  performances,  'ac- 
tive   functions,'   'mechanical 
DOCTOR  acts':  "actuall"  had  this  lit- 

You  may  to   me:   and   'tis  most  meet  you     eral  sense  in  el.e.   Thedoc- 

1         11  tor  opposes  actual  perform- 

ances to  mental  operations. 
GENTLEWOMAN 

Neither  to  you  nor  any  one.  havind  no  wit-     7  l<?  AFTER  ,HE,R  1S  EL-E- 

</  '  o  Iqj-  »ag  she  said  it    cp  NED 

nesse    to    COnfirme    my    speech.  I2c;  the  notion' is  still  pre- 

served in  restricted  usage  with 
'repeat'  and  'say,'  but  not  with  'report.'  *1F  19  The  gentlewoman's  canny  reluctance  to 
shelter  herself  under  the  physician's  professional  privilege  is  probably  due  to  Shakspere's 
knowledge  of  law.  The  question  of  the  incompetency  of  the  testimony  of  an  "uncon- 
firmed," i.e.  unsupported,  witness  in  trials  for  treason  was  not  settled  until  1695.  The 
gentlewoman  declines  to  take  any  risks :  for  her  unsupported  statement  as  to  what  Lady 
Macbeth  has  said  would  amount  to  treason  if  the  doctor  chose  to  betray  her  confidence. 


191 


ax 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  V 


SCENE   I 


21-37 


"  "pas,"  etc.,  formed  the 
without  suffix.     Some 


SF  2  I  The  interjection  LO  was  commonly  thus  used  in  M.E.  and  e.N.E.  with  a  following 
pronoun  to  attract  attention,  cp.  "Whylo-you  now;  I  have  spoke  to  the  purpose  twice" 
Wint.T.  1.2.  106.  SF22  GUISE,  'peculiar  habit,'  N.  E.  D.  2  ;  VERY  intensifies  the  noun, 
giving  the  sense  of  an  adverb  'exactly.'  SF  23  STAND  CLOSE,  'keep  hidden,'  the  usual 
meaning  of  the  EL.  E.  phrase.  SF  24-30  The  prose  has  the  rhythm  cadence  of  blank 
verse,  cp.  note  to  II.  3- 28. 
<ff26  'T  IS  HER  COMMAND 
shows  Lady  Macbeth's  ter- 
ror of  the  darkness  which 
she  herself  invoked  in  I.  5« 
51.  The  doctor's  interest  is 
professional,  and  his  profes- 
sional notes  give  a  realistic 
touch  to  the  picture.  *1F  28 
SENSE  ARE:  modern  edi- 
tions alter  to  'sense  is';  but 
"sense"  in  EL. E.  can  be  a 
plural  form:  in  M.E.  mono- 
syllabic nouns  endingins,  like 
"cas, 
plural 

of  these  historical  forms  sur- 
vived in  e.  N.E.,  e.g.  Sidney 
writes  :  "  Do  you  not  see  the 
grasse  ["grasse"  in  EL.  E. 
means '  blade  of  grass,'  N.E.D. 
3]  how  they  excel  in  colour 
the  emeralds, everie  one  striv- 
ing to  passe  his  fellow,  and 
yet  they  are  all  kept  of  an  equal 
height?"  'Arcadia'  p.  37  b  ; 
"businesse,"  another  of  these 
inflectionless  plurals,  is  cited 
in  the  note  to  III. 5.22. "Sense" 
occurs  as  a  plural  in  "my 
adder's  sense  To  cryttick  and 
to  flatterer  stopped  are " 
Sonn.CXII.  10,  where  the  fact 
that  "are"  rhymes  with  "care" 
has  saved  it  from  the  havoc 
of  emendations.  Other  such 
forms  are  "ballance"  Merch. 
IV.  1.255  (altered  to  'balan- 
ces' by  Rowe),  and  "corpes" 
in  I  Hen. 4  I.  1.43  (emended 
to  'corses'  by  Staunton). 
"Horse,"  already  noted  in 
II. 4. 14,  belongs  to  another  class  of  words  like  'mile,' etc.,  which  retain  O.  E.  forms.  ^31 
ACCUSTOM'D,  'customary,'  N.E.D.  I|  the  word  is  now  usually  restricted  to  persons. 
The  notes  of  habit  here  imply  a  periodic  recurrence  of  Lady  Macbeth's  hallucinations. 
*ff34  YET,  'still,'  an  adverb  of  time  in  this  position  in  EL.  E.,  cp.  note  to  IV.  1. 100.  *ff36 
SATISFIE, 'assure' ;  Collier,  unfamiliar  with  EL.  idiom,  thought  Shakspere  wrote  'fortify,' 
but  cp.  Coles's  gloss  "satisfied,  certior  factus"  and  see  the  note  to  IV.  1. 104. 

192 


ENTER  LADY  MACBETH  WITH  A  TAPER 

Lo  you,  heere  she  comes!  This  is  her  very- 
guise;  and,  upon  my  life,  fast  asleepe.  Ob- 
serve her;   stand  close. 

DOCTOR 
How  came  she  by  that  light? 

GENTLEWOMAN 
Why,  it  stood  by  her:   she  has  light  by  her 
continually;    Tt  is  her  command. 

DOCTOR 
You  see,  her  eyes  are  open. 

GENTLEWOMAN 
I,  but  their  sense  are  shut. 
DOCTOR 
What  is  it  she  does  now?     Looke  how  she 
rubbes  her  hands. 

GENTLEWOMAN 
It  is  an  accustom'd  action  with  her  to  seeme 
thus  washing  her  hands:  I  have  knowne  her 
continue  in  this  a  quarter  of  an  houre. 

LADY  MACBETH 
Yet  heere  's  a  spot. 

DOCTOR 
Heark!   she  speaks:    I  will  set  downe  what 
comes  from  her  to  satisfie  my  remembrance 
the  more  strongly. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SF  38  DAMNED,  either  'damning'  or  'damnable' ;  cp.  note  to  1.2. 14.  There  is  probably 
a  long  pause  after  SAY ;  Lady  Macbeth  then  lives  over  again  the  moments  of  the  murder 
itself;  she  counts  the  clock  strokes  as  the  time  set  for  the  murder  of  Duncan  arrives. 
SF  39  HELL  IS  MURKY':  this  apparently  unconnected  notion  is  usually  taken  as  an  ex- 
pression of  Lady  Macbeth's  horror  at  the  soul-gloom  she  is  plunged  in.  Delius,  following 
a  suggestion  of  Steevens,  took  it  for  a  fear-inspired  exclamation  of  Macbeth's  at  the  time 
of  the  murder,  "chastised"  by  Lady  Macbeth's  words  that  follow  :  but  this  seems  to  be  a 
somewhat  artificial  interpretation.  The  thought  may  be  due  to  one  of  those  graphic  as- 
sociations of  ideas  which  Shakspere's  words  frequently  imply :  the  remembrance  of  the 
oppressive  gloom  of  the  night  when  they  started  forth  to  murder  Duncan,  or  even  Lady 
Macbeth's  recollection  of  her  own  words,  "the  night  is  murky,"  unites  with  her  horror  at 
the  gloom  in  which  her  soul  is  plunged,  and  is  transformed  into  terms  of  her  present  ex- 
perience—  "Hell  is  murky!" 

ACT  V  SCENE  I 


That  one  of  the  effects  of  her 
madness  is  a  terror  of  the 
darkness  Shakspere  has  al- 
ready shown  us  in  v.  26,  and 
these  two  great  horrors  of 
darkness  and  hell  may  well 
why,    thelitis    time    to    doo    t.— Hell     IS      blend  together  in  her  mind  in 

anawful  harmony.  In  Temp. I. 
2.214  Ferdinand's  mad  cry  as 
he  jumps  into  the  sea,  "Hell 
is  empty,  And  all  the  divels 
are  heere,"  seems  to  be  due  to 
the  same  spiritual  vision  of  a 
haunted  soul  as  that  which 
causes  Lady  Macbeth's  out- 
cry. SF40  Here  we  get  more 
details  of  the  murder  thus 
reflected  back  upon  it :  Mac- 
beth is  afraid,  and  Lady  Mac- 
beth, as  she  has  so  often  done, 
taunts  him  with  personal 
cowardice,  appealing  to  one 
of  the  deep  springs  of  action 
in  the  man's  character.  FIE 
is  an  interjection  of  indignant 
reproach  in  EL.  E.,  whose 
force  has  been  much  weak- 
ened in  later  usage,  see  N.E.D. 
s.v.l.  ^41  In  M.E.  and  e.  N.E.  the  interrogative  WHAT  often  means  'why.'  SF  42 
ACCOMPT, 'account,' cp.  note  to  1.6. 26.  SF  43  There  is  probably  a  pause  here,  followed 
by  "Yet  who  would  have  thought  the  olde  man  to  have  had  so  much  blood  in  him?"  This 
horrible,  grim  reflection  of  Lady  Macbeth's  depends  for  its  point  on  age's  poverty  of  blood  ; 
cp.  "Stay,  father,  for  .  .  My  youth  can  better  spare  my  blood  then  you"  Titus  III.  1. 1 33T 
and  "I  'le  pawne  the  little  blood  which  I  have  left"  Wint.T.  II. 3. 166.  It  throws  back  a 
lurid  light  on  the  dripping  daggers  which  Macbeth  forgot  to  leave  in  Duncan's  chamber. 
The  inhuman  jest  would  have  been  disgusting  at  the  time  of  the  act  itself:  there  the  touch 
of  nature  was  necessary  — "  Had  he  not  resembled  My  father  as  he  slept  I  had  don't"; 
now  we  see  the  act  in  all  its  demoniac  fury.  A  tragic  interlude  follows,  probably  with 
more  washing  of  hands.  *lr  46  The  new  movement,  though  printed  as  prose  in  FO.  I  and 
in  all  modern  editions,  is  couched  in  the  rhythm  of  a  ballad  refrain.     This  lyric  form  and 

193 


38-51 

LADY  MACBETH 
Out,  damned  spot!  out,  I  say!  —  One:  two: 
then  ft  is  time  to  doo  't. —  Hell  is 
murky!  Fye,  my  lord,  fie!  a  souldier,  and 
affear'd?  what  need  we  feare  who  knowes 
it,  when  none  can  call  our  powre  to  accompt? 
— Yet  who  would  have  thought  the  olde  man 
to  have  had  so  much  blood  in  him  ? 

DOCTOR 
Do  you  marke  that? 

LADY  MACBETH 

The  Thane  of  Fife 

Had  a  wife: 

Where  is  she  now? 
—  What,  will  these  hands  ne're  be  cleane?  — 
No  more  or  that,  my  lord,  no  more  of  that: 
you  marre  all  with  this  starting. 


X 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


the  awful  jest  which  precedes  give  the  thought  of  the  murder  of  an  innocent  mother  the 
horror  of  demoniacal  laughter.  Lady  Macbeth's  words  also  seem  to  express  the  joy  of  a 
triumph  over  her  hated  rival.  *ff  50  NO  MORE  O'THAT:  a  new  theme,  with  again  the 
reflection  of  a  fresh  interest  into  a  preceding  scene,  the  grim  repetition  noting  the  authorita- 
tive insistence  of  Lady  Macbeth's  presence  of  mind.  SF5I  YOU  MARRE  ALL, 'you  spoil 
everything';  the  phrase  was  almost  stereotyped  in  EL.  E. :  cp.  'their  own  foolish  pro- 
ceedings that  mar  all'  Burton,  'Anat.  of  Mel.'  II. 2. 55.  STARTING,  cp.  "he  trembleth 
(starteth)  at  them;   quaking, 

ACT  V  SCENE  I 


starting  (shivering)"  Come- 
nius's  Janua,  370;  and  also 
the  note  to  III. 4. 63- 

*ff52  GO  TOO  in  EL.  E.  is  a 
strong  expression  of  disap- 
proval, like  MN.E.  'Come, 
come,  now  ! '  cp.  N.  E.  D.  9 1  b. 
Here  we  seem  again  to 
have  KNOWNE  implying  its 
common  M.E.  sense  of  'ac- 
knowledged.' The  last  usage 
of  the  word  in  this  sense 
cited  in  N.  E.  D.  is  dated 
1450,  but  it  may  neverthe- 
less have  possessed  its  M.E. 
shade  of  meaning  in  Shak- 
spere's  time :  often  a  longer 
interval  than  a  hundred  years 
will  separate  two  successive 
citations  in  the  dictionary. 
"Know"  seems  to  have  the 
sense  'acknowledge'  also  in 
"'T  were  better  for  you  if  it 
were  known  in  councell  [i.e. 
in  secret] :  you  '11  be  laugh'd 
at"  Merry  W.  1. 1. 122  (Shal- 
low has  just  told  Falstaff, 
"The  Councell  shall  know 
this").  Again,  in  "Let  but  your 
honourknow  .  .  Whether  you 
had  not  sometime  in  your  life 
Er'd  in  this  point  which  now 

you  censure  him,  And  puld  the  law  upon  you"  Meas.  II.  1.8.  It  is  pretty  clear,  therefore, 
that  the  N.  E.  D.'s  citations  s.v.  13  ought  to  be  carried  down  to  the  seventeenth  century.  If 
the  word  has  not  this  sense  in  this  passage  it  is  hard  to  see  why  the  physician  should  have 
said,  "Go  too,  go  too  !  "  SF  54  The  stress  on  the  gentlewoman's  SPOKE  also  implies  the 
'acknowledge'  meaning  of  the  doctor's  "knowne"  :  'she  has  said  what  she  should  not  say, 
but  whether  or  not  it  is  a  confession  of  fact,  heaven  only  knows!'  SF55  WHAT  SHE 
HAS  KNOWNE,  'what  she  has  gone  through,'  a  meaning  still  preserved  in  such  MN.E. 
phrases  as  'I  have  known  misfortune.'  SF  59  Lady  Macbeth's  OH,  OH,  OH  !  in  MN.E. 
suggests  rather  a  groan  of  pain  than  the  sigh  of  an  overburdened  heart.  But  from  Florio's 
glossing  of  Italian  aih  by  "oh,  aye  me,  alas"  and  hai  by  "oh  me"  it  would  seem  that 
EL.  E.  "oh"  corresponded  to  MN.E.  'ah,'  not  MN.E.  'oh.'  The  variation  between  "ah" 
and  "oh"  in  the  Quarto  spellings  points  in  the  same  direction  and  can  easily  be  accounted 

194 


52-65 

DOCTOR 
Go  too,  go  too;  you  have  knowne  what  you 
should  not. 

GENTLEWOMAN 
She  has  spoke  what  shee  should  not,  I  am 
sure  of  that:   heaven  knowes  what  she  has 
knowne. 

LADY  MACBETH 
Heere  fs  the  smell  of  the  blood  still;  all  the 
perfumes  of  Arabia  will  not  sweeten  this  little 
hand.      Oh,  oh,  oh  ! 

DOCTOR 
What  a  sigh  is  there  1     The  hart  is  sorely 
charg'd. 

GENTLEWOMAN 
I  would  not  have  such  a  heart  in  my  bosome 
for  the  dignity  of  the  whole  body. 

DOCTOR 
Well,  well,  well! 

GENTLEWOMAN 
Pray  God  it  be,  sir. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


for  on  the  assumption  that  the  o  represented  a  long,  open  o.  SF6I  CHARG'D,  'burdened/ 
cp.  N.  E.D.I  and  V.8.5.  *1F  63  DIGNITY  in  M.E.  and  e.N.E.  often  means 'worth,"  value/ 
cp.  "a  finger's  dignity"  Tro.&Cr.  1.3-204.     IF  64    WELL,  WELL,  WELL  !  seems  to  be  the 

expression  of  amazement  still 

ACT  V  SCENE  I 


66-77 

DOCTOR 

This  disease  is  beyond  my  practise:  yet  I 
have  knowne  those  which  have  walkt  in  their 
sleep  who  have  dyed  holily  in  their  beds. 


LADY  MACBETH 
Wash  your  hands,  put  on  your  night-gowne. 
—  Looke  not  so  pale;  I  tell  you  yet  againe, 
Banquo  's  buried:  he  cannot  come  out  on  Ts     of  n. 2. 66-72.   SF70  i'tell 

YOU  YET  AGAINE:   a  frag- 
ment of  her  talk  with  Macbeth 
DOCTOR 


current  in  MN.E.,  and  not  an 
aposiopesis,  as  usually  print- 
ed. The  gentlewoman  replies 
to  the  literal  sense  of  the 
words. 

<ff66  BEYOND  MY  PRAC- 
TISE, 'outside  of  my  ex- 
perience/ cp.  "Meere  pratle 
without  practise  Is  all  his 
souldiership"  Oth.  I.  I.  26. 
«ff  68  HOLILY:  that  is,  after 
the  administration  of  the  sac- 
rament.     SF  69  is  an  epitome 


grave. 
Even  so? 


LADY  MACBETH 
To  bed,  to  bed !  there  's  knocking  at  the  gate : 
come,  come,  come,  come,  give  me  your  hand. 
What's  done  cannot  be  undone. —  To  bed, 
to  bed,  to  bed! 

EXIT   LADY   MACBETH 


after  the  banquet  scene.  SF  7 1 
ON  'S  illustrates  the  frequent 
EL.  confusion  of  the  un- 
stressed forms  of  "of"  and 
"on."  SF  73  EVEN  SO?  in 
EL.  E.  expresses  surprise  like 
our  MN.E.  'Is  it  possible?' 
cp.  "  your  brother  cannot  live. 
Isab.  Even  so?"  Meas.  II. 
4.33-  SF  74  Shakspere  makes 
the  semiconscious  purpose 
of  getting  to  bed  reflect  Lady 
Macbeth  back  to  her  going  to  bed  on  the  night  of  Duncan's  murder,  the  knocking  at  the 
gate,  Macbeth's  dazed  mental  condition,  and,  supreme  touch,  the  helpless  regret  of  his 
"Wake  Duncan  with  thy  knocking:  I  would  thou  could'st."  There  is  no  finer  illustra- 
tion of  the  power  of  word  associations  to  reproduce  or  suggest  experience  than  the  one 
which  Shakspere  gives  us  in  these  random  utterances  of  Lady  Macbeth :  a  few  broken, 
disconnected  phrases  put  before  us  a  mass  of  perceptions,  judgements,  emotions,  and  all 
the  external  surroundings  which  framed  them,  so  that  the  scene  is  as  vividly  present  to  our 
minds  as  if  we  were  ourselves  actors  in  it.  And  no  more  vivid  picture  of  the  hell  that  the 
human  mind  can  make  for  itself  out  of  its  own  experience  has  ever  been  revealed  to  the  eye 
of  the  soul  in  sacred  literature  or  profane  than  the  one  whose  gates  have  here  been  for  a 
moment  opened  to  us.  It  is  like  the  delirium  of  a  fever  in  which  the  mind,  loosed  from 
the  control  of  consciousness,  returns  to  the  scenes  that  have  engraved  themselves  most 
deeply  on  its  experience,  and,  following  the  deep  grooves  of  association  over  and  over 
again,  lives  through  these  experiences  and  all  their  concomitant  perceptions,  judgements, 
and  emotions,  only  to  return  again  and  yet  again,  sucked  back  into  their  eddying  currents 
as  soon  as  the  outer  edge  is  reached,  in  an  endless  cycle  of  torture.  Grant  only  the  re- 
moval of  the  external  stimuli  to  attention,  and  one  has  in  the  soul  itself  the  material  for  a 
hell  which  needs  no  fire  and  brimstone  to  suggest  its  torture.  For  Lady  Macbeth  the 
play  is  over,  her  cup  of  horrors  is  drained:  it  needs  only  the  messenger  to  announce  her 
end — "The  queene,  my  lord,  is  dead."    Macbeth  will  fight  against  his  doom  a  while  longer, 

195 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


as  he  has  fought  it  all  along.  And  his  stubborn  resistance  will  save  him  at  the  last,  not 
from  paying  the  penalty  of  his  acts,  but  from  the  complete  destruction  of  soul  that  has 
overtaken  his  wife.  Though  in  V.5- 17  ff.  he  will  come  to  the  edge  of  the  abyss  into  which 
Lady  Macbeth  has  plunged  and  for  a  moment  stand  tottering  on  the  brink  of  suicide, 
he  will  save  himself  and  boldly  front  his  doom,  challenging  his  fate  on  the  ground  that 
he  has  been  deceived  by  his 

ACT  V  SCENE  I 


intelligence 
his   love,    a 
in    it    elements 
justness. 


and    misled    by 

claim    that    has 

essential 


of 


*ff  78  DIRECTLY,  'without 
more  ado.'  SF  79  The  change 
to  rhythm  in  a  way  closes 
the  scene  itself  and  adds  a 
sort  of  epilogue  that  affects 
one  like  a  sudden  change 
from  a  minor  key  to  the  key 
of  C  major.  WHISP'RINGSin 
EL.  E.  is  the  equivalent  of  '  in- 
sinuations, "slanders' ;  in  the 
Authorized  Version  it  trans- 
lates the  xpidvpLOfioi  of  II  Cor. 
XI 1. 20,  rendering  the  Greek 
original  with  an  exactness  of 
connotation  not  now  possi- 
ble. SF80  UNNATURALL, 
'unnat'ral,'  as  frequently  in 
EL.  E. ;  i.e.  deeds  which  vio- 
late natural  instincts  breed 
unusual  disturbances  of  the 
human  organism.  The  doc- 
tor's words  have  more  point 
in  EL.  E.,  where  TROUBLES 
means  '  diseased  conditions ' ; 
cp.Oth.  III.  3. 4 1 4,  where  I  ago 
is  ''troubled  with  a  raging 
tooth";    Lepidus    is    "trou- 


77*-%7 


DOCTOR 
Will  she  go  now  to  bed? 

GENTLEWOMAN 
Directly. 

DOCTOR 
Foule  whispVings    are  abroad:    unnaturall 

deeds 
Do  breed  unnaturall  troubles :  infected  mindes 
To  their  deafe  pillowes  will  discharge  their 

secrets: 
More  needs  she  the  divine  then  the  physitian. 
God,  God  forgive  us  all!     Looke  after  her; 
Remove  from  her  the  meanes  of  all  annoyance, 
And  still  keepe  eyes   upon    her.     So,  good 

night. 
My  minde  she  has  mated,  and  amaz'd  my 

sight; 
I  thinke,  but  dare  not  speake. 
GENTLEWOMAN 

Good  night,  good  doctor. 

EXEUNT 

*  The  text  returns  to  the  standard  numeration. 


bled  with  the  greene-sick- 
nesse,"  in  Ant.&Cl.  III.2.5,  and  Antony  is  "troubled  with  a  rume"  ibid.  III. 2. 57.  Baret 
glosses  "a  minde  troubled"  by  alienatus.  This  meaning  of  the  word  is  still  current  in 
colloquial  English.  INFECTED  MINDES, 'hearts  tainted  with  crime'  (cp.  note  to  III.  1.65 
and  N.E.  D.  6)  as  well  as  'minds  tainted  with  disease,'  N.E.  D.  I  b.  SF8I  This  figurative 
use  of  DISCHARGE,  N.E.  D. 8  c,  now  rare,  was  common  in  Shakspere's  time;  the  original 
meaning  of  the  word  is 'disburden,'  not  'emit.'  SF 83  GOD,  g6d  illustrates  the  increment 
of  stress  that  comes  by  repetition.  The  words  give  a  deep  touch  of  human  sympathy : 
the  evidence  of  a  terrible  punishment  for  sin  always  makes  the  beholder  feel  the  weakness 
of  his  own  nature,  "saved  as  by  fire."  SF84  ALL,  'any.'  ANNOYANCE  is  glossed  "in- 
jury" in  Kersey,  "Icesio11  in  Phr.  Gen.  and  Cooper.  The  physician's  inference  is  that 
Lady  Macbeth  will  try  to  commit  suicide.  IF 85  STILL, 'always,' cp.  1.7.8.  SF  86  SHE 
HAS  was  probably  contracted.  MATED  is  a  M.E.  and  e.  N.E.  word  meaning  ' dazed,' cp. 
"I  thinke  you  are  all  mated  or  starke  mad"  Err. V. 281.  AMAZ'D,  'bewildered,'  'con- 
fused,' cp.  II. 3- 1 14.     SIGHT  is  often  used  for  eyes  in  EL.E.,  or  rather  for  perception  by 

196 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

the  sense  of  sight,  cp.  "The  mind  and  sight  distractedly  commixt"  Lover's  Compl.28. 
The  doctor  cannot  believe  the  evidence  of  his  eyes.  SF87  GOOD  NIGHT,  GOOD  DOC- 
TOR is  another  of  those  human  touches  so  frequent  in  Shakspere  :  the  gentlewoman's  "  good 
night "  brings  the  scene  to  a  close  in  a  phrase  pregnant  with  homely  association  ;  her  u  good 
doctor"  sinks  the  professional  interest  in  the  human,  and  in  her  simple  words  vibrates 
a  sympathy  born  of  their  common  vigil  and  their  common  vision  of  the  unspeakable  awful- 
ness  of  human  sin.  The  falling  rhythm  of  the  last  word  has  a  lingering  note,— "Good 
night,  good  doctor," — almost  as  if  she  had  said,  "Yea,  God  forgive  us  all!"  One  can 
easily  perceive  the  peculiar  force  of  this  by  imagining  the  scene  to  close  in  rising  rhythm 
with  v.  85. 


INTRODUCTORY    NOTE    TO    SCENE    II 

After  the  tragic  climax  of  Scene  I,  Scene  II  brings  us  back  to  Macbeth  and  the  doom 
that  is  gathering  about  him  as  the  powers  above  put  on  their  instruments.  The  scene  is 
a  continuation  of  the  theme  of  Scene  VI  of  Act  IV,  byway  of  prologue  to  the  catastrophe 
that  is  coming  on.  The  editors  of  the  Clarendon  Press  Macbeth  were  inclined  to  doubt 
its  authenticity.  But  in  its  condensation  and  tenseness  of  expression  it  would  be  hard  to 
parallel  its  style  outside  of  Shakspere  ;  and  its  central  notion — v.  I  2,  Macbeth  expressly 
recognized  as  mad  by  some  of  the  actors  in  the  drama— is  an  organic  part  of  the  play  that 
could  scarcely  be  omitted  without  marring  the  assthetic  structure  of  the  whole.  Moreover, 
its  action  supplements  the  "since  his  Majesty  went  into  the  field"  of  Scene  I  in  such  a 
way  as  to  show  that  the  two  were  conceived  together. 


SCENE  II:  THE  COUNTRY  NEAR  DUNSINANE 

DRUM  AND  COLOURS 

ENTER  MENTETH  CATHNES  ANGUS  LENOX  SOLDIERS 


1-5 


MENTETH 

HE  English  .powre  is  neere,  led 

on  by  Malcolm, 

His  unkle  Seyward  and  the  good 

Macduff: 

Revenges   burne    in    them;     for 

their  deere  causes 

Would  to  the  bleeding,  and  the  grim  alarme 

Excite  the  mortified  man. 

Alvearie,  "  a  nephew  . .  qui  ex 
filio  filiave  natus  est,  nepos  ex  fratre,  vel  sorore"  ;  Cooper  glosses  nepos  "the  sonne  or 
daughter's  sonne,  a  nephew";  Comenius,  604,  is  also  quite  clear  on  this  point:  "In  the 
rank  of  them  that  lineally  descend  are  the  grandchild  (the  nephew— grandson  — and  neece), 
the  great-grandchild  (the  nephew's  son  and  the  neece's  daughter),  the  great-great-grand- 
child, and  so  downward  with  all  their  posterity."  So  "  cousin  "  is  a  general  term  in  EL.  E. : 
"they  that  are  of  the  same  race  —  linage  —  and  pedegree  are  called  coozens,  and  kinsmen 

197 


SF2  SEYWARD  is  spoken 
of  by  Holinshed  as  being 
the  grandfather  of  Malcolm  : 
"  Duncane  having  two  sonnes 
by  his  wife  which  was  the 
daughter  of  Siward,  earle  of 
Northumberland"  Boswell- 
Stone,p.25.  But  "nephew" 
in  EL.E.  means  'grandson' 
as  well  as  corresponds  to 
MN.E.  'nephew,'  cp.  Baret's 
Alvearie, "  a  nephew 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

by  blood"  Comenius,  601.  It  was,  perhaps,  this  use  of  "nephew"  that  led  Shakspere 
to  call  Seyward  Malcolm's  UNKLE.  GOOD, '  brave/  cp.  note  to  1.2.4.  SF  3  REVENGES: 
the  EL.  distributive  plural  of  abstract  nouns,  cp.  note  to  III.  I.  122.  DEERE  is  used  in 
EL.  E.  of  what  stands  in  an  intimate  relation  to  a  person,  whether  of  affection  or  of  interest  ; 
in  this  latter  usage  it  is  almost  untranslatable  into  MN.E.  SF  4,  5  The  FO.  prints  a 
comma  after  BLEEDING,  but  all  modern  editors  depart  from  its  punctuation.  Two  in- 
terpretations of  these  words  have  been  given :  Theobald,  followed  by  most  of  the  editors 
down  to  CI.  Pr.,  took  THE  MORTIFIED  MAN  in  the  sense  of  'an  ascetic,'  referring  to 
Rom.  VIII.  3r  "but  if  yee  through  the  spirit  doe  mortifie  the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye  shall 
live."  Steevens  added  citations  from  Greene's  Never  too  Late,  "I  perceive  in  the 
words  of  the  hermit  the  perfect  idea  of  a  mortified  man,"  and  from  Monsieur  d'Olive, 
1 606,  "He  like  a  mortified  hermit  sits."  But  "mortified  man"  in  EL. E.  does  not  neces- 
sarily imply  that  the  mortified  person  is  averse  to  bloodshedding.  In  Bullein's  Dia- 
logue, 1564,  E.  E.  T.  S.,  p.  24,  Ambodexter  says,  "  I  do  remember  that  reverent  mortified 
father,  that  holy  man,  Bishop  Boner;  . .  if  he  were  againe  at  libertie  [he  was  confined  in 
the  Marshalsea  in  1564]  he  .  .  trimely  would  roste  these  felowes  and  after  burne  them." 
This  "mortified  father"  was  the  Bishop  Bonner  of  'Bloody  Mary's'  reign.  Warburton 
noticed  the  difficulty  in  the  definite  article,  and  was  for  reading  'a  mortified  man.'  The 
editors  of  the  CI.  Pr.  likewise  objected  to  this  established  interpretation  on  the  score  of 
feebleness,  and  showed  that  "mortified"  in  EL.  E.  also  meant  'made  dead.'  They  saw  in 
the  passage  a  possible  reference  to  the  'well-known  superstition  that  the  corpse  of  a  mur- 
dered man  bled  afresh  in  the  presence  of  the  murderer.'  (Burton, '  Anat.  of  Mel.'  1. 1.25, 
says  that  'Campanella  tries  to  prove  the  opinion  of  Paracelsus  that  there  is  a  spiritual 
soul'  by  the  fact  that  'carcasses  bleed  at  the  sight  of  the  murderer.')  They  give  the  inter- 
pretation, 'their  dear  causes  would  rouse  a  dead  man  to  bleeding  and  to  the  grim  call  to 
arms,'  admitting  that  the  words  yield  an  extravagant  sense,  but  contending  that  we  must 
choose  between  extravagance  and  feebleness.  They  suggested,  too,  that  the  whole  pas- 
sage maybe  spurious.  The  N.E.  D.  makes  their  interpretation  more  intelligible  by  show- 
ing that  GRIM  ALARM  in  EL.  E.  can  mean  'furious  [s.v.  2  a]  onset  [s.v.  II],'  and  that 
BLEEDING  can  mean  'gory,' '  sanguinary'  (s.v.  I  b).  Shakspere  uses  "bleeding"  in  this 
sense  in  John  II.  1. 304,  "bleeding  ground"  ;  in  Rich.2  111.3-94,  "bleeding  warre"  ;  in  Rich.3 
IV. 4. 209,  "bleeding  slaughter"  ;  and  in  Cass. III.  1. 1 68, "bleeding businesse."  These  con- 
notations also  apply  to  the  former  interpretation.  But  the  objection  of  lack  of  point  if 
we  take  "mortified  man"  as  standing  for  ascetic  still  holds,  and  that  of  extravagance  still 
remains  if  "mortified  man"  is  tantamount  to  'dead  man';  and  the  objections  that  both 
interpretations  depart  from  the  FO.  punctuation  and  that  the  notion  demands  the  indefinite 
article  likewise  remain  in  either  event. 

But  if  we  take  the  words  with  their  context  we  have  the  suggestion  of  revenge  being  a 
burning  fever.  CAUSE  in  EL. E.  means  'sickness,'  'disease,'  N.E. D.  12;  Shakspere  in 
All'sW.  II.I.II3  writes  "toucht  With  that  malignant  cause" ;  in  Cor.  III.  1.235  the  first 
senator  says, "  Leave  us  to  cure  this  cause  "  ;  Menenius  adds,  "  For  [i.e. '  he  uses  the  word 
cause']  'tis  a  sore  upon  us,  You  cannot  tent  [i.e.  probe]  your  selfe."  In  2Hen.4  IV.  1.53 
the  archbishop  says,  "Wherefore  doe  I  this  [i.e.  take  up  arms  in  rebellion]?  Wee  are  all 
diseas'd  And  with  our  surfetting  and  wanton  howres  Have  brought  our  selves  into  a  burn- 
ing fever,  And  wee  must  bleede  for  it"  ;  cp.  also  "A  fever  in  your  bloud?  why  then,  inci- 
sion [i.e.  bleeding]  Would  let  her  out  in  sawcers"  L.L.L.  IV.  3-97  ;  cp., too,  Rich.3  III.  1. 183. 
Bleeding  for  fever  was  common  medical  practice  in  Shakspere's  day.  The  latter  part 
of  the  sentence  carries  out  this  medical  phraseology  but  gives  it  a  different  turn.  MOR- 
TIFIED as  an  EL.E.  medical  term  means  'benumbed,'  'incapable  of  function,'  cp.  Ker- 
sey, "mortification  .  .  in  surgery:  a  loss  of  the  native  heat  and  of  sense  in  any  part 
of  the  body."  This  meaning  is  clearly  implied  in  Lear  II.  3. 14,  "  Bedlam  beggars  who  .  . 
Strike  [i.e.  thrust]  in  their  num'd  and  mortified  armes,  Pins,  wooden-prickes,  nayles." 
MAN  in  EL.E.  is  used  frequently  in  the  sense  of  'manhood,'  'manliness' :  in  V. 8. 18  Mac- 

198 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

bcth  says  that  Macduff's  words  have  cowed  his  "  better  part  of  man/'  i.e.  the  better  part 
of  his  manhood,  his  personal  courage;  Marston  in  'Antonio  and  Mellida'  I.I.I 60  has 
"O  now  Antonio  .  .  Heap  up  thy  powers,  double  all  thy  man";  Ben  Jonson  in  '  Every 
Man  in  his  Humour'  II.  I  writes  "Mee  thought  hee  bare  himselfe  in  such  a  fashion,  So 
full  of  man  and  sweetnesse  in  his  courage."  THE  MORTIFIED  MAN  in  EL.  E.  can  there- 
fore mean  'their  paralysed  manhood,'  the  definite  article  being  used  as  a  possessive  pro- 
noun. EXCITE,  in  its  sense  of  'arouse,'  'quicken,'  N.E.D.2  c,  is  a  fitting  word  for  GRIM 
ALARM,  which  in  EL.E.  means  not  only  the  'stern  alarm'  of  war,  but  has  also  the  sense 
of '  incitement,'  N.  E.  D.  6,  now  obsolete.  The  connection  between  the  two  clauses  may  easily 
be  that  of  an  EL.  d~b  koivov  construction,  always  a  stone  of  stumbling  to  modern  readers, 
cp.  notes  to  1.5.24,111.1. 1 22,  and  IV.  3. 1 5.  If  this  be  the  case  we  have  WOULD  expressed 
in  the  first  clause  with  its  EL.  sense  of 'are  ready  for,' cp."  he  is  very  sicke  and  would  to  bed" 
Hen. 5  II.  1.86,  recalling  Malcolm's  words  "Macbeth  is  ripe  for  shaking";  in  the  second 
clause  its  'must  have'  meaning  is  understood,  cp.  "that  would  be  scann'd"  Ham. III. 3-75, 
and  "Sorrow  would  sollace  and  mine  age  would  ease"  2Hen.6  II. 3. 21.  To  sum  up,  this 
interpretation  gives  us  as  the  MN.  E.  sense  of  the  whole  passage  :  '  Revenges  burn  in  them  : 
I  say  burn,  because  they  suffer  from  a  fever  which  needs  to  be  bled,  and  war's  stern 
alarm  must  furnish  the  furious  incitement  to  rouse  from  its  lethargy  their  lifeless  man- 
hood, so  long  crushed  under  the  heel  of  the  tyrant.'  This  reading  not  only  preserves  the 
punctuation  of  FO.  I  but  gives  to  Shakspere's  words  that  graphic  and  tense  connection 
which  is  so  characteristic  of  his  writing.  The  only  objection  to  it  is  that  the  words  and 
syntax  are  unfamiliar  to  MN.E.  But  Shakspere  is  never  considerate  of  the  modern 
reader,  and  did  not  reckon  with  the  comprehension  of  a  generation  which  would  read  his 
plays  three  hundred  years  after  he  wrote  them.  If,  however,  the  objection  is  to  hold,  the  only 
escape  from  the  dilemma  of  obscurity  or  weakness  is  to  throw  the  blame  upon  the  printer  or 

upon  the  editorial  careless- 
ACT    V  SCENE    II  5- I  I        ness  of  Hemminge  and  Con- 

dell,  and  say  that  the  passage 
ANGUS  *s  'hopelessly  corrupt.' 

Neere  Byrnan  wood      <ff6  well  is  used  as  an  in- 
Shall  we  well  meet  them;  that  way  are  they     tensive  adverb  in  el.e.  with 

.      ,  j  j  tke   notion    0f  'fitness,'  'ad- 

COmming.  vantage,'    still    preserved   in 

CATHNES  such  phrases  as  'he  is  well 

Who  knowes  if  Donalbane  be  with  his  brother?  able,'  'I    can   well   afford,' 

R     _  'you  are  well  met,' etc.      *ff8 

LENOX  FILE>  ,listf»  cp>  nI  L95>  and 

For  certaine,  sir,  he  is  not:    I  have  a  file  "Our  present  musters  grow 

Of  all  the  gentry:  there  is  Seyward's  sonne,     ^on  the  file"  2Hen.4  1.3. 10. 

o  J  J  1        SF  9  GENTRY  in  its  EL.  sense 

And  many  unruffe  youths  that  even  now  includes  the  nobility.     SF10 

Protest  their  first  of  manhood.  unruffe  :   Autolycus  an- 

swers the  shepherd's  "We 
are  but  plaine  fellowes,  sir  "  with  "  A  lye  :  you  are  rough  and  hayrie,"  playing  on  "  plaine  " 
in  the  sense  of  'smooth.'  "Rough,"  "hearie,"  was  a  common  EL.  gloss  for  hirsutus,  see 
Cooper,  s.v. ;  and  cp.  "rough  or  rugged  with  haires  or  bristles"  ;  "my  brother  is  hearie 
but  I  am  smooth"  Baret,  '  Alvearie.'  un-  had  a  much  wider  range  of  application  in  EL.E. 
than  in  MN.E.,  giving  forms  like  "unlevell,"  "unpossible,"  "unperfect,"  "uncessantly." 
The  Folio  spelling  seems  to  be  phonetic.  *f  1 1  PROTEST  THEIR  FIRST  OF  MAN- 
HOOD: 'proclaim  the  first  of  their  manhood' is  the  usual  explanation, — cp.  "my  neer'st 
of  life"  III.  1. 1 17, — but  it  is  an  awkward  one.  The  words  are  better  taken  as  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  thought  in  the  previous  clause,  with  "protest"  in  its  EL.  sense  of  'put 

199 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


in  evidence,'  'cite  as  evidence' ;  cp.  Comenius,  "a  man's  chin  is  covered  first  with  down, 
then  a  long  and  large  beard;  .  .  yet  some  are  beardless,  some  have  beards  beginning  to 
bud.''  This  gives  point  to 
the  EVEN  NOW,  the  ''first 
of  manhood"  being  the  down 
on  their  unrough  chins. 


ACT  V 


SCENE  II 


I  I  —  I  6 


MENTETH 

What  does  the  tyrant? 
CATHNES 
Great  Dunsinane  he  strongly  fortifies: 
Some  say  hee  's  mad ;  others,  that  lesser  hate 

him, 
Do  call  it  valiant  fury:    but,  for  certaine, 
He  cannot  buckle  his  distemper'd  cause 
Within  the  belt  of  rule. 


<ffll  WHAT  DOES  THE  TY- 
RANT? illustrates  a  common 
EL.  arrangement  of  the  in- 
terrogative sentence  now  ob- 
solete. SF  13  LESSER  is  an 
adverb  in  EL.  E.,  see  N.E.  D. 
s.v.,  and  cp.  "No  lesser  of 
her  honour  confident"  Cym. 
V.5.I87.  Macbeth'sinsanity, 
like  Hamlet's,  is  but  sug- 
gested to  the  reader :  Shak- 
spere  is  too  much  of  a  poet 

to  declare  explicitly  what  insanity  is,  or  to  label  Lear,  Hamlet,  Othello,  and  Macbeth  as 
mad.  They  have  all  "a  feaver  of  the  madde"  in  them  that  lifts  them  out  of  the  common 
range  of  experience  and  makes  them  interesting.  Moreover,  the  phenomena  of  insanity 
in  Shakspere's  time  were  vague  and  mysterious,  as  is  evident  from  Burton's  treatment  of 
the  subject.  The  abnormal  acts  of  Hamlet,  Macbeth,  Lear,  and  Othello  belong  to  that 
borderland  of  diseased  mentality  which  in  Elizabethan,  as  in  classic  phraseology,  was 
denoted  by  the  term  "melancholy."  Macbeth  does  not  understand  human  and  divine 
laws, —  lnon  cognoscit  homines,  non  cognoscit  leges,1—  Lear  and  Othello  do  not  understand 
women,  Hamlet  does  not  understand  himself:  this  touch  of  the  mad,  this  lack  of  balance 
of  soul  and  mind,  this  'mind  diseased'  and  all  its  havoc  of  human  life  and  human  hopes  is 
the  theme  of  Shakspere's  great  tragedies.  In  Hamlet  and  Macbeth  the  exciting  influences 
of  the  tragedy  come  from  without,  the  ghost  in  the  one  case,  the  witches  in  the  other;  in 
Othello  and  Lear  they  work  from  within,  rising  from  a  natural  jealousy  and  suspicion  ren- 
dered inordinate  by  an  inordinate  love.  In  all  it  is  their  failureto  understand  the  souls  of  men 
and  the  laws  of  life  that  gives  the  deep  pathos.  SF  14  FOR  CERTAINE,  i.e.  I  report  it  for 
a  certainty,  was  used  thus  absolutely  in  EL.  E.  in  the  sense  of  M  N.  E. '  one  thing  is  certain ' ; 
it  is  now  felt  rather  as  an  adverbial  phrase  qualifying  the  verb  of  the  sentence  in  which 
it  stands.  SF  15  Caithness's  words  have  made  great  difficulty  for  modern  editors,  some 
of  whom  would  change  "cause"  to  'course'  or  to  'corse,'  under  the  usual  assumption  that 
where  the  text  is  unintelligible  as  MN.E.  it  is  corrupt.  But  BUCKLE  IN  is  used  in  this 
same  figurative  sense  of  'limit,'  'enclose'  (N.E. D.  I  b)  in  "That  the  stretching  of  a  span 
buckles  in  his  summe  of  age"  A.Y.L.  III. 2. 140,  where  the  EL.  meaning  'fasten  in  any 
way'  passes  over  into  figurative  usage.  CAUSE  is  not  only  intelligible  in  EL. E.  but  ex- 
actly the  word  that  suits  the  connection, for  it  means  'disease,'  see  note  to  "deere  causes" 
v.3.  DISTEMPER'D  in  EL. E.  is  a  medical  term  denoting  what  was  conceived  to  be  a 
disproportionate  mixture  of  the  bodily  humours:  see  N.E.D.  'distemper'  sb.  13-  In  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  it  is  frequently  used  with  reference  to  insanity,  which, 
in  the  EL.  mind,  was  associated  with  a  diseased  condition  of  the  'humours.'  N.E.  D.s.v. 
3  b  cites  Hooker,  1594,  as  speaking  of  "distempered  affection";  Herbert,  1 633?  of  "dis- 
tempered fears"  ;  Hobbes,  1 65 1,  of  a  "distempered  brain"  :  this  latter  association  is  still  in 
use,  though  it  has  lost  its  sharpness.  As  the  word  "distempered"  also  means  'im- 
moderate,' 'extreme,'  — Hooker,  I586,speaks  of  a  "distempered  or  extraordinarie  choler," 
N.E. D. 5, —  "distempered  cause"  is  a  very  apposite  reference  to  Macbeth's  insanity  and 
.has  nothing  to  do  with  'dropsical  affections'  or  with  'discontented  parties  in  the  state.' 

200 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

*ff  1 6    RULE  in  EL. E.,  as  frequently  in  MN.E.,  is  used  in  the  sense  of  'regimen/  and  "rule 

of  health  "  is  a  M.  E.  and  e.  N.  E.  phrase  for  '  regimen  of  health.'     The  verb  "  rule "  in  EL.  E. 

also  meant  'to  control  the  passions/  cp.  "To  rule  his  affection  and  talk,  animo  et  orationi 

moderari"  u  I  could  not  rule  myself  but  that,  etc.,  imperare  animo  nequivi  gum,"  and  "  I 

should  be  scantly  able  to  rule  my  selfe,  vix  compos  mei  essem  "  Baret's  Alvearie.     The 

words,  then,  are  not  a  mere  general  figure  but  have  immediate  reference  to  the  "mad"  above 

and    to    Macbeth's    distem- 

ATT    V  Qpnvrp    tt  t  f      0  r       pered  will,  which  he  himself 

t\\^  1      V  oL>CrlNC,    11  lb  — 2^       fjrst     recognized     to     have 

passed  beyond  his  "rule"  in 

ANGUS  1. 1. 139- 

Now  does  he  feele      „ 

TT  ,  .    i  .      r  1    •      i  i  ^I7      STICKING     ON     HIS 

His  secret  murthers  sticking  on  his  hands;       hands    seems    to   be  the 
Now    minutely    revolts    upbraid    his    faith-     phrase  which  in  Coles  has 

i  i    >  the  form   "to   stick  a  hand, 

;  cegre  distrahi,  raro  prcesti- 

Those  he  commands  move  onely  in  command,     nari,"  and  to  mean  that  Mac- 
Nothind  in  love:  now  does  he  feele  his  title     b«th  <fn  n°wfind  no  one  to 

TT  ,°  .  i   •         1-1  »  1  take   his    secret   murders  otr 

Hang  loose  about  him,  like  a  giant  s  robe  his  hands?  as  Malcolm  and 

Upon  a  dwarfish  theefe.  Donalbaine  took  the  odium  of 

-._.j_,p_,_.  Duncan's    murder    and    the 

assassins    that    of    Banquo ; 
Who  then  shall  blame       the  market  is  glutted  now,  he 

His  pester'd  senses  to  recoyle  and  start,  can  'Palm  ,them  ofr  on  no 

ivt-1  ii     i  •  •  i   •      i   •         i  i  one-  A  similar  EL. expression 

When  all  that  is  within  him  does  condemne     iS"to  lie  upon  one's  hands," 

It  selfe  for  being  there?  which  occurs  in  "The  mar- 

chandize  .  .  Are  all  too  deere 
for  me:  Lye  they  upon  thy  hand  and  be  undone  by  'em!"  Ant.&Cl. II.5. 105.  The 
'merchandise'  that  Cleopatra  here  alludes  to  is  the  messenger's  announcement  that  An- 
tony is  married  to  Octavia.  SF  18  MINUTELY,  with  the  stress  on  the  first  syllable, 
is  an  EL.  compound  like  MN.E.  'hourly/  cp.  "God's  minutely  providence,"  cited  from 
Hammond  (1605-1660)  in  Cent.  Diet.  UPBRAID  in  EL. E.  means  'to  cast  in  one's  teeth/ 
'to  twit  with/  as  it  is  glossed  in  Comenius  and  Baret's  Alvearie;  cp.  "I  would  not  boast 
my  actions,  yet  'tis  lawful  To  upbraid  my  benefits  to  unthankful  men"  Massinger's  Un- 
natural Combat,  1. 1  (cited  in  Cent.  Diet.).  FAITH  in  EL.  E.  carries  with  it  the  notion  of 
'fealty/  cp.  "The  lords  took  .  .  their  oaths  of  faith  and  allegiance  unto  Don  Philip"  W. 
Phillips,  1 598  (cited  inN.E.D.9).  The  revolts  of  Macbeth's  own  subjects  cast  in  his  teeth 
his  disloyalty  to  Duncan.  SF  19  IN  COMMAND,  'by  reason  of  command/ cp.  "in  an  im- 
periall  charge"  IV.  3.20.  SF  20  NOTHING  is  the  EL.  adverb,  cp.  note  to  1.3-96.  TITLE, 
'claim  to  the  sovereignty/ cp.  note  to  IV.  3- 104.  SF  23  PESTER'D  in  EL.  E.  means 'ham- 
pered/ 'cumbered/ cp.  "now  all  places  are  pestered  with  builded  houses"  Comenius,  522  ; 
the  word  passes  over  into  the  general  sense  of  'vex/  'annoy/  cp.  "would  over  boord  have 
cast  his  golden  sheepe  As  to  unworthy  ballace  [ballast,  lading]  to  be  thought  To  pester 
roome"  Drayton's  Heroicall  Epistles,  61,  Sp.  Soc,  p.  290;  see  also  Ham.  1. 2. 22  ;  the  word 
is  retained  in  the  sense  of  'annoy'  in  MN.E.  In  Shakspere's  time  it  seems  also  to  have 
been  applied  to  an  overloaded  stomach,  cp.  "to  pester,  to  cloie"  Baret's  Alvearie;  Per- 
cival  glosses  it  by  the  Spanish  enfadar,  enfastidiar ;  Cotgrave,  by  empesche,  and  gives 
"empesche  de  sa  personne,  unwieldie,  pursie,  grosse ;  poictrine  empesche,  troubled  with 
obstruction  and  (more  particularly)  obstruction  of  the  stomach":  hence  the  turn  of  the 
phrase  which  follows.     Macbeth  himself  says  he  has  "supt  full  with  horrors."    The  refer- 

201 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

ence  of  course  is  to  the  "start-  ACT    y  SCENE    II  25-31 

ings     or  Macbeth  s  madness 

as  being  but  the  natural  re-  rjTHMCQ 

suit  of  his  crime-cloyed  soul.  C  A  1  H  N  bb 

recoyle  and  start, 'for  Well,  march  we  on, 

recoiling  and  starting';  the     jQ  a[vq  obedience  where  'tis  truly  ow'd: 

EL.    infinitive     often     corre-        \n  i  it  pi  11  1 

spondingtotheMN.E.prepo-      Meet  we  the  med  cine  ot  the  sickly  weale, 
sition  and  participle.     For     And  with  him  poure  we  in  our  countries  purde 

"recoyle "in  its  EL.  sense  of       t^      1     j  r 

'break,"  break  down,' cp.  IV.        Each   dr0P  °f  US' 

3. 19,  and  for  "start"  see  note  LENOX 

to  in. 4.63.  Or  so  much  as  it  needes 

SF25  MARCHWEONisanor-     To  dew  the  soveraigne  flower  and  drowne 

mal  EL.  form  of  the  first  per-  the  weeds. 

son  plural  imperative.     127        u    1  1  id- 

the    med'cine   of  the      Make  we  our  march  towards  birnan. 

SICKLY     WEALE     is     Mal-  EXEUNT   MARCHING 

colm ;    the    word    has    been 

taken  in  its  somewhat  rare  EL.  sense  of  'physician,'  cp.  Florio's  " medico,  a  medicine,  a 
leach,  a  phisitian"  (cited  by  CI.  Pr.),  but  such  an  interpretation  weakens  the  force  of  the 
WITH  HIM  :  Malcolm  too  will,  if  need  be,  shed  his  last  drop  of  blood  for  his  country,  and 
the  healing  purge  of  their  shed  blood  will  medicine  the  sickly  weal.  *ff28  POURE,  'pour 
out' ;  in  EL.  E.  the  word  did  not  require  the  complementing  adverb.  OUR  COUNTRIES 
PURGE  is  the  EL.  E.  objective  genitive  idiom.  SF  29  EACH  in  M.E.  and  EL.  E. is  often  tanta- 
mount to  '  every,'  cp.  note  to  IV.  2.22  and  its  citation  from  Heywood.  U  S  is  the  reflexively 
used  personal  pronoun  common  in  EL.  E.  IT  NEEDES,  'is  necessary,'  the  M.  E.  and  e.  N.  E. 
impersonal  idiom.  SF  30  SOVERAIGNE  in  EL.  E.  is  used  of  anything  that  has  a  potency 
for  healing,  cp.  "the  most  soveraigne  prescription  in  Galen"  Cor.  ILL  127.  The  verbiage 
of  the  whole  scene  is  medical, — fever  of  revenge,  paralysis  of  manliness,  dropsical  affec- 
tions with  their  distempered  humours,  cloyed  sensations  with  embarrassed  digestion,  purg- 
ing medicines,  sovereign  flower,  —  and  forms  a  close  associational  link  between  this  and 
the  preceding  scene.  This  constant  recurrence  to  medical  phraseology  clearly  reflects 
Shakspere's  conception  of  Macbeth's  mind  as  'diseased.' 


INTRODUCTORY    NOTE    TO    SCENE    III 

Scene  III  pictures  Macbeth  "sick  at  hart"  in  the  midst  of  the  disasters  thickening  round 
him,  but  nerving  himself  for  the  crisis  and  bringing  back  to  us  that  former  Macbeth  which 
we  became  acquainted  with  at  the  beginning  of  the  play.  He  shows  a  new  imperiousness 
born  of  a  rule  by  force  and  fear  —  Seyton,  send  out!  Doctor,  how's  your  patient? — a 
new  testiness,  the  fruit  of  nights  of  watching  and  days  of  dread — The  divell  damne  thee 
blacke,  thou  cream-fac'd  loone  !  Where  got'st  thou  that  goose-looke? — a  new  impatience 
springing  from  a  feeling  that  his  only  means  of  safety  lies  in  prompt  action.  With  these 
there  is  the  note  of  regret  and  a  sense  of  the  vanity  of  a  life  which  has  yielded  him  nothing 
that  he  had  hoped  for,  though  it  has  granted  everything  that  he  asked  of  it.  But  in  spite 
of  these,  the  new  Macbeth  is  the  old  Macbeth ;  and  as  he  returns  to  the  sphere  of  bold, 
resolute  action,  throwing  aside  the  ill-fitting  robe  of  duplicity  and  indirectness  worn  during 
his  later  years,  he  seems  in  a  measure  to  regain  his  original  freedom  and  his  original  no- 
bility.    As  he  himself  puts  it,  they  have  tied  him  to  a  stake,  but  he  will  fight  the  course. 

202 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

In  this  tragedy  of  misguided  force  Shakspere  never  for  a  moment  allows  his  Hercules  to 
show  weakness  :  he  never  whines.  In  his  moment  of  deepest  despair  he  recovers  himself  by 
his  own  self-contempt.     Play  the  Roman  fool?     Not  he! 


SCENE    III:    A    ROOM    IN    THE 
ENTER   MACBETH    DOCTOR   AND 

MACBETH 
RING   me  no   more   reports;   let 

them  flye  all : 
Till    Byrnane    wood    remove    to 

Dunsinane, 
I  cannot  taint  with  feare.  What's 
the  boy  Malcolme? 

woman?    The  spirits 


CASTLE 
ATTENDANTS 


)f 


have   pronounc'd 


Was  he  not  borne 

that  know 
All   mortall   consequences 

me_thusi 

1  Feare  not,  Macbeth ;  no  man  that  rs  borne 
'  of  woman 
Shall  ere  have  power  upon  thee.T     Then  fly, 

false  thanes, 
And  mingle  with  the  English  epicures: 
The  minde  I  sway  by  and  the  heart  I  beare 
Shall  never  sagge  with  doubt  nor  shake  with 

feare. 


I  — 10 


The  scene  opens  with  Shak- 
spere's  graphic  directness: 
the  attendants  have  brought 
word  that  the  nobles  are  de- 
serting Macbeth  ;  he  will  not 
hear  such  news.  ^F  I  FLYE 
ALL,  not  'let  them  all  fly'  but 
'let  them  fly  in  a  body';  "all" 
in  EL.E.  is  frequently  used  as 
an  adverb  meaning  'as  a 
whole,'  cp.  "where  so  ever 
the  mind  is  busied  there  it  is 
all "  Florio's  Montaigne,  1.38. 
SF3  TAINT  has  been  taken 
exception  to  and  'faint'  pro- 
posed as  a  substitute ;  mod- 
ern editors  usually  retain 
"taint,"  explaining  it  as 
meaning 'become  corrupted.' 
But  fear  does  not  corrupt. 
In  EL.E.,  however,  "taint" 
means  'wither,'  cp.  "failing 
of  that  moisture  it  flags, 
tainteth  (withereth)  and  by 
and  by  drieth  away"  Come- 


nius, 'Janua' 106.  Macbeth's 
notion  is  therefore  similar  to  that  of  1.3. 18  and  23,  'fear  cannot  dry  his  blood  and  waste 
his  marrow  till  Birnam  wood  remove  to  Dunsinane.'  He  is  as  strong  as  ever  he  was: 
what  is  the  boy  Malcolm  to  oppose  him?  *IF4  SPIRITS,  monosyllabic 'sprites' as  usual. 
SF5  CONSEQUENCES,  'what  follows,'  'the  future,'  cp.  note  to  1.7.3-  PRONOUNC'D  in 
EL.E.  may  mean  'proclaimed,'  but  the  word  is  probably  used  intransitively  with  ME  as 
the  EL.  ethical  dative,  cp.  note  to  1 1 1.6. 41.  The  verse  seems  to  be  an  alexandrine,  and 
as  such  has  a  peculiar  impressivenessin  its  onward  flowing  rhythm.  SF  7  UPON  is  used 
in'its  sense  of  'over,'  cp.  "command  upon  me"  in  III.  1. 17.  The  verse  has  an  extra  im- 
pulse before  the  caesura,  aptly  marking  the  transition  in  the  thought.  SF8  The  contemp- 
tuous reference  to  the  ENGLISH  EPICURES  is  probably  due  to  Holinshed,  p.  180  (ed. 
Bothwell-Stone,  p.  42),  as  pointed  out  by  Steevens  :  "  For  manie  of  the  people,  abhorring 
the  riotous  manners  and  superfluous  gormandizing  brought  in  among  them  by  the  Eng- 
lishmen, were  willing  inough  to  receive  this  Donald  for  their  king,  trusting,  because  he 
had  beene  brought  up  .  .  in  the  lies  .  .  without  tast  of  the  English  likerous  delicats,  .  .  they 
should  .  .  recover  again  the  former  temperance  of  their  old  progenitors."  "Epicure"  in 
the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  is  used  for  'one  who  gives  himself  up  to  sensual 

203 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


pleasure.'  This  sense  has  given  rise  to  our  MN.  meaning  of  the  word.  IF 9  SWAY  BY, 
'govern  by/  'hold  my  prestige  by/  cp.  "  And,  Henry,  had'st  thou  sway'd  as  kings  should 
do,  Or  as  thy  father  and  his  father  did,  Giving  no  ground  unto  the  house  of  Yorke,  They 
then  had  never  sprung  like  sommer  flyes"  3Hen.6  II. 6. 14,  and  Coles's  glosses,  "sway, 
guberno,  impero"  " to  sway  with  one,  prcevaleo."  *IF  1 0  SAGGE'is  glossed  by  Kersey 
"to  hang  down  by  one  side,"  and  the  word  is  still  used  in  the  United  States  of  anything 
that    bends   under   a    heavy 


ACT  V 


SCENE  III 


II  — 19 


tb 


ee 


ENTER   SERVANT 

blacke,  thou  cream- 


weight.  "A  sagging  gait" 
is  EL. E.  for  'slouching/  and 
since  "sway"  also  means 
'advance'  in  EL. E.,  Shak- 
spere  may  have  had  in  mind 
the  unsteady  and  vacillating 
gait  of  an  old  man.  BEARE 
rhymes  with  FEARE  in  EL.  E., 
cp.  note  to  1. 1. 6.  The  rhythm, 
with  its  strong  monosyllabic 
impulses,  is  peculiarly  con- 
fident. 

SF  1 1    LOON E  seems  to  have 

been  a  Scottish  term  of  abuse 

in  Shakspere's  day  ;  it  occurs 

in    Patten's   account   of   the 

Duke    of    Somerset's  march 

into  Scotland,  ed.  Arber,  p. 

114.    SF  12    GOOSE-LOOKE: 

cp.  "this  goose,  you  see, puts 

downe  his  head  before  there 

be  anything  neere  to  touch 

him"   Sidney's  Arcadia,  III. 

237  (cited  in  N.E.D.).      SF  I  3 

THERE     IS:     the     singular 

verb  with  "there"  followed 

by  a   plural   complement   is 

common    EL.   idiom.       SF  15 

PATCH  is  an  EL.  word  for 

'fool.'      Moth  plays  upon  it 

in  L.L.L.  IV.2.32,  "So  were 

there  a  patch  set  on  learning 

to   see    him    in    a    schoole." 

SF  1 6    DEATH  OF  THY  SOULE!  illustrates  the  use  of  the  word  "death"  in  imprecations 

like  "Death  and  damnation!"  Oth.III.3-396.     LINNEN,  i.e.  white;  CI.  Pr.  cites  "Their 

cheekes  are  paper"  from  Hen. 5  II. 2. 74.     WHAY  is  a  common  EL.  spelling  of  'whey.' 

SF  19  The  repeated  "  Seyton !  —  Seyton,  I  say!"  interjected  into  Macbeth's  soliloquy 
graphically  pictures  the  rash  impatience  of  his  mind.  The  FO.  punctuates  with  a  comma 
after  SEYTON  in  both  instances.  SF  20  BEHOLD  has  a  number  of  intransitive  uses  in 
EL.  E., —  cp.  N.E.D.8, —  and  it  may  mean 'stop  to  consider/ — 'when  I  face  this  crisis.'  SF2I 
CHEERE  and  the  FO.'S  "dis-eate  me  now"  have  caused  great  difficulty:  many  editors 
assume  that  "dis-eate"  is  a  printer's  error  for  the  "disease"  of  FO. 2  used  in  its  EL. 
sense  of  'trouble/  'vex';  but  were  that  the  meaning  it  would  be  "trouble  me  ever,"  not 
"trouble  me  now,"  for  disease  suggests  continuous  action.     Besides,  the  emendation  is 

204 


The  divell  damne 

fac'd  loone! 
Where  got'st  thou  that  goose-looke? 

SERVANT 
There  is  ten  thousand — 
MACBETH 

'Geese,'  villaine? 
SERVANT 

Souldiers,  sir. 
MACBETH 
Go  pricke  thy  face  and  over-red  thy  feare, 
Thou  lilly-liver'd  boy.   What  soldiers, patch? 
Death  of  thy  soule!   those  linnen  cheekes  of 

thine 
Are   counsailers   to    feare.    What    soldiers, 
wh  ay-face? 

SERVANT 
The  English  force,  so  please  you. 

MACBETH 
Take  thy  face  hence. 

EXIT   SERVANT 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

weak  and  the  word 'disease' has  no  relation  to  PUSH.  Other  emendations  are 'disseize' 
and  'defeat,'  equally  unsatisfactory.  The  words  taken  just  as  they  stand,  allowing  for  the 
possibility  of  a  somewhat  anomalous  spelling  in  CHEERE  and  DIS-EATE,  give  a  better 
sense  than  any  of  the  alterations  proposed.  "Cheere"  may  easily  be  a  confusion  of  spell- 
ing between  "  cheere  "  and  "  chaire  "  ;  the  two  words  seem  to  have  had  the  same  pronuncia- 
tion in  EL.  E.,  "cheere"  probably  still  retaining  its  open  e  alongside  of  the  newer  i.    N.  E.  D. 

under  the  substantive  records 

act  v         scene  in  19-29   "±1™llS- arf T«TentH; 

J         '  century  spelling  or  "cheere, 

e  .         T  -11  anc^  the  confusion  may  well 

bey  ton! 1   am   SICk  at  hart,  have  worked  the  other  way. 

When  I  behold Seyton,  I   say! this  push  "Chair"    frequently     means 

W-11      1  J-  A  'throne'inEL.E. ;  "chairedor 

ill  cheere  me  ever,  or  dis-seate  me  now.         ^  »    ,»  •     .,      ' ,     .u   » 
1  stalled     is  glossed  cathedra- 

I  have  liv'd  long  enough  :   my  way  of  life  tus  in  Holyoke;  and  cp.  "is 

Is  falne  into  the  seare,  the  yellow  leafe;  Jhe  chayre  emptie?  . .  Is  the 

A      ,     ,  1.1111  J  I  1       .  king  dead?  Rich.3.IV.4.470. 

And  that  which  should  accompany  old-age,      "Chair"  in  the  sense  'en- 

As  honor,  love,  obedience,  troopes  of  friends,  throne'  exactly  fits  the  con- 

I  must  not  looke  to  have;  but  in  their  steed,  T^Z^lMt^t^tlicl 

Curses,  not  lowd  but  deepe,  mouth-honor,  is  el.  e.  for  'forever," for  the 

breath  rest  °^  mV  ^fe,'  cp.  "  Let  me 

iV,,  .11                     ,                       1  1  p    •         1                   1  nve  here  ever"  Temp.  IV.  I. 

Which  the  poore  heart  would  tame  deny,  and      123.    push  as  a  verb  we 

dare  not.  have  already  had  in  a  similar 


Sey 


,         j  connection  in  III. 4. 82,  "push 

us  from   our    stooles";    the 


noun  also  means  'test'  or 
'issue'  in  EL. E.,  cp.  "Wee'l  put  the  matter  to  the  present  push"  Ham. V.I. 3 1 8,  and 
"What  propugnation  is  in  one  man's  valour  To  stand  the  push  and  enmity  of  those  This 
quarrell  would  excite?"  Tro.&Cr.  II. 2. 136.  DIS-SEATE,  'unseat,'  cp.  "the  hot  horse  .  . 
seekes  to  dis-seate  his  lord"  Two  Noble  Kinsmen,  V.4. 72 — the  hyphen  is  significant. 
Macbeth's  words,  therefore,  mean,  'This  crisis  will  either  establish  me  on  the  throne  for 
the  rest  of  my  life  or  unking  me  at  once.'  THIS  PUSH  could  well  be  the  object  of  BEHOLD 
were  it  not  for  the  FO.  punctuation,  "  behold :  Seyton,  I  say,  this  push,"  etc.,  for  the  EL.  rela- 
tive pronoun  is  frequently  omitted  in  M.E.ande.N.E.evenin  restrictive  clauses  where  MN.E. 
sense  requires  it,  cp.  "  Haply  I  see  a  friend  will  save  my  life"  Err.  V.  1. 283,  and  "The  way  is 
danger  leadeth  to  thy  cell"  Drayton,  'Duke  of  Normandie,'  p.  417.  Such  an  interpreta- 
tion gives  unity  to  Macbeth's  words  and  reflects  into  them  a  moody  despondency  like 
that  of  V.5.23  :  'I  am  sick  at  heart  when  I  behold  this  fierce  opposition  which  will  estab- 
lish me  in  perpetuity  upon  my  throne  or  remove  me  from  it  now.  For  I  have  lived  long 
enough,  etc.,'  i.e.  the  game  is  scarce  worth  the  candle.  SF  22  For  WAY  OF  LIFE  John- 
son proposed  'May  of  life'  to  avoid  what  he  thought  confusion  of  metaphor;  but  for  a 
'May  to  fall  into  the  yellow  leaf  is  a  notion  more  confused  than  that  of  Shakspere's 
words.  WAY  in  EL.  E.  means  'course';  Steevens  cited  the  phrase  "way  of  life"  from 
Per.  I.I.  54,  "  Thus  ready  for  the  way  of  life  or  death  "  ;  cp.,  too,  "  Hee  's  walk'd  the  way 
of  nature"  2Hen.4  V.2.4.  *ff23  IS  FALNE:  "To  fall  in  age"  is  the  idiom  cited  from 
Palsgrave,  1530,  in  N.E.D. ;  the  phrase  "fall  into"  was  used  with  a  wide  range  of  applica- 
tion in  EL.  E.  to  describe  'persons  passing  into  some  specified  condition,  bodily  or  mental,' 
N.  E.  D.  38.  SEARE,  '  withered,'  '  dry,'  is  now  only  poetic,  cp.  "  deformed,  crooked,  old,  and 
sere"  Err.  IV.  2. 19.  *ff  27  After  BREATH  modern  editors  add  a  comma  not  in  FO.  I  ;  but 
in  Macbeth's  thought  "which"  seems  to  refer  only  to  "breath"and  not  to  "mouth-honor"  : 

205 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


the  word  in  EL.E.  often  means 'flattery,'  cp.  "publicke  fame  or  private  breath"  Wotton, 
1639  (cited  in  N.E.  D.  4  c),  and  "commends  and  courteous  breath"  Merch.  II. 9. 90.  <1F  28 
DENY  is  used  in  its  EL.E.  sense  of  'refuse.'  As  has  been  pointed  out  by  Clark,  this 
soliloquy  is  one  of  the  long-time  suggestions  in  Macbeth.  Coming  in  as  it  does  between 
the  two  impatient  calls  for  Seyton,  his  only  faithful  noble,  it  gives  us  a  glimpse  of  the  man's 
loneliness,  and,  without  delay-  ,.  --  , 

ACT  V  SCENE  III 


ing  the  action,  awakens  sym- 
pathy for  him  in  the  crisis 
that  is  approaching. 

SF30  MORE, 'further,' cp.  III. 
4.  137.  SF33  French  in  his 
'  Shakespeareana  Genealogi- 
ca'  (cited  in  Furness's  Vario- 
rum) says  that  the  Setons 
of  Touch  were  hereditary  ar- 
mour-bearers to  the  kings  of 
Scotland.  SF35  MOE  is  a 
comparative  M.E.  form  used 
as  a  noun  with  the  partitive 
genitive  following  which  sur- 
vived into  e.N.E.  SKIRRE  is 
a  phonetic  spelling  of  '  scur,' 
an  EL.  word  meaning 'to  flit,' 
'pass  hurriedly  over';  it  is 
used  by  Jonson  (cp.  Cent. 
Diet,  s.v.)  and  by  Fletcher, 
"the  light  shadows  That  in  a 
thought  scur  o'er  the  fields  of 
corn"  Bonduca  I.I  (cited  by 
Steevens).  <lr36  MINE:  an 
EL.  form  of  the  pronoun  fre- 
quent before  a  word  begin- 
ning with  a  vowel.  SF37Mac- 
beth's  quick  turning  to  the 
doctor  to  ask  how  his  patient 
is  getting  on  aptly  brings  the 
thought  of  Lady  Macbeth 
into  the  action.  The  doctor 
probably  enters  while  Mac- 
beth is  talking  to  Seyton, 
though  the  FO.  puts  his  en- 
trance at  the  beginning  of  the 
scene  ;  for  it  is  hardly  likely  that  Macbeth  would  ignore  the  doctor  in  the  soliloquy,  and  there 
is  no  occasion  for  his  appearance  in  the  action  before  this  point.  His  coming  in  here  to 
report  on  Lady  Macbeth's  condition  would  naturally  bring  out  Macbeth's  question.  Had 
he  been  on  the  stage  before,  Shakspere  would  probably  have  assumed  that  Macbeth 
knew  about  the  "thicke-comming  fancies."  As  it  is,  the  doctor  probably  comes  to  tell  the 
king  of  what  he  saw  in  Scene  I,  but  the  imperative  interruption,  "Cure  her  of  that,"  and 
the  impatient  demand  that  follows,  prevent  him  from  communicating  his  news.  The  sim- 
ple inquiry  with  its  homely  phrasing  indicates  a  deep  concern  for  Lady  Macbeth ;  but 
here,  as  in  II.  3. 124,  a  selfish  indifference  has  been  read  into  Macbeth's  words.  English- 
men do  not  sentimentalize  in  a  crisis  such  as  Macbeth  is  in ;  and  a  German  inference 

206 


30-39 


ENTER   SEYTON 
SEYTON 

What's  your  gracious  pleasure? 

MACBETH 

What  newes  more? 

SEYTON 

All  is  confirm'd,  my  lord,  which  was  reported. 

MACBETH 

I  'le  fight  till  from  my  bones  my  flesh  be  hackt. 

Give  me  my  armor. 

SEYTON 

'T  is  not  needed  yet. 

MACBETH 

I  'le  put  it  on. 

Send    out   moe   horses; 

round; 

Hang  those  that  talke   of   feare. 

mine  armor. 

How  does  your  patient, 

DOCTOR 

Not  so  sicke,  my  lord, 

As    she    is    troubled    with    thicke-comming 

fancies, 

That  keepe  her  from  her  rest. 


skirre  the    country 
Give   me 

doctor? 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

of  Macbeth's  selfishness  because  he  does  not  express  to  the  doctor  his  love  and  anxiety- 
is  apt  to  be  misleading.  His  brusque  '  How  Ts  your  patient,  doctor?'  is  the  truest  note  of 
his  anxiety  that  he  could  give.     SF  39    REST,  i.e.  sleep,  was  the  recognized  remedy  for 

insanity  in  Shakspere's  time, 
x  r>T»    \r  crnxic     in  orv      a/-       and  Macbeth  knows  from  his 

ACT  V  SCENE   III  39-46     own  experience  what  loss  of 

sleep  means. 
MACBETH 

Cure  her  of  that.       ^39    FO.I   prints  "Cure  of 

C>ix1  .     .    .  •     J      J-  t  J         that,"  but  the  rhythm  points 

an  st  thou  not  minister  to  a  minde  diseas  d,     to  the  loss  of  a  wyord?  /nd  thc 

Plucke  from  the  memory  a  rooted  sorrow,        "her"  of  fo.2  is  probably 

Raze  out  the  written  troubles  of  the  braine,       ^  ^ht  one-    As  CURE  !n 

.       .  .  .  .  .  EL.  E.  means  'to  treat  medi- 

And  with  some  sweet  oblivious  antidote  cinally,'  cp.  iv.3.215,  Mac- 
Cleanse  the  Stufft  bosome    of    that  perillous  beth's  direction  is 'treat  her 
nn  for  that.' The  doctor  probably 
SlUlie  makes  some  gesture  of  dis- 
Which  weighes  upon  the  heart?  sent  here,  indicating  that  the 

trouble    is    past   curing,  and 

DOCTOR  leading  to    Macbeth's  ques- 

Therein  the  patient     t[?n'  half  soliloquy,  half  com- 

-_  .  1   .  ip  plaint    at    the  impotence    01 

Must  minister  to  himselte.  science.     Plato's  maxim,  in 

the  form  ucuncta  mala  cor- 
poris ab  animo  procedunt,  qua;  nisi  curentur  corpus  curari  minime  potest,11  was  an  axiom 
of  current  medical  practice  which  Shakspere  probably  had  in  mind  when  he  wrote  these 
oft-quoted  words.  Burton  in  citing  it  adds:  'Yea,  but  you  will  here  infer  that  this  is  an 
excellent  good  indeed  if  it  could  be  done  ;  but  how  shall  it  be  effected,  by  whom,  what  art, 
what  means?  hie  labor,  hie  opus  est.1  SF40  MINISTER  here  and  in  v.  46  was  probably 
syncopated  to  'min'ster';  cp.  "And  minister  in  their  steeds  [i.e.  steads]"  Timon  IV.  1.6, 
and  "keep  in  awe  Your  gelded  ministers;  shall  I  yielde  accompe  Of  what  I  doe  to  you?" 
Massinger's  Believe  as  you  List,  1.2.  The  word  is  used  in  EL.  E.  in  the  sense  of  'pre- 
scribe,' cp.  "you  gave  me  bitter  pils,  And  I  must  minister  the  like  to  you"  Two  Gent. 
II. 4. 149-  SF 4 1  'Sorrow,'  says  Burton,  'is  a  sole  cause  of  madness'  .  .  .  '  If  it  take  root 
once  it  ends  in  despair'  I.  ii.  3-  5.  SF  42  RAZE  OUT, '  erase,'  cp.  '  razing  out  one  name  and 
putting  in  another'  Jonson,  'Bart.  Fair'  V.2.  ^43  OBLIVIOUS,  'causing  forgetfulness,' 
'soporific,'  cp.  Milton's  "oblivious  pool"  Par.  Lost,  1.263  (cited  in  Cent.  Diet.).  ANTI- 
DOTE: cp.  Minsheu,  "a  medicine  given  against  venime  .  .  veneni  propulsatorium,  i.e.  a 
driver  away  of  venome"  ;  this  driving  away  or  purging  notion  of  the  word  seems  to  have 
been  in  Shakspere's  mind.  SF44  STUFFT,  'crammed  full,'  the  usual  EL.  meaning  of  the 
word;  Comenius  speaks  of  a  "stomach  stuffed  or  cramm'd  full,"  so  here  it  is  the  heart 
'clogged  with  troubles'  that  Macbeth  is  asking  the  doctor  to  purge.  PERILLOUS  is  syn- 
copated to  'per'lous'  in  EL. E.,  cp.  "So  hard  and  perlous  to  be  brought  to  passe"  Dray- 
ton's Barrons  Warres,  III. 30. 4.  Macbeth  thinks  of  the  diseased  soul  as  an  overladen 
stomach  that  must  be  purged:  " strangulat  inclusus  dolor  atque  exazstuat  z'nf  us,"  as  cur- 
rent medical  parlance,  citing  Ovid,  had  it.  Such  repetitions  of  a  word  as  we  have  here 
are  very  frequent  in  Shakspere  and  the  best  EL.  writers,  and  give  no  occasion  for  the 
numerous  emendations  that  have  been  proposed  for  "stuffe."  *ff45  The  doctor's  reply 
echoes  the  medical  notion  of  Shakspere's  times.  Burton  says  that  in  these  cases  of 
minds  diseased  'from  the  patient  himself  the  first  and  chiefest  remedy  must  be  had' 
II. 61.  The  words  which  follow  are  Macbeth's  attempt  to  dismiss  the  matter.  Remedy, 
if  there  is  one,  lies  in  action,  not  in  brooding.     He  can  at  least  fight  —  'fight  the  course,' 

207 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


as  he  says  later :  he  is  still  sure  of  winning.  A  wave  of  loneliness  comes  over  him  as 
he  says,  "  Doctor,  the  thanes  flye  from  me" — the  rats  are  leaving  the  sinking  ship  ;  but  he 
puts  the  thought  aside  with  a  jest,  turning  the  'suffering  country'  into  terms  of  medical 
diagnosis.     All    through   the 

ACT  V  SCENE  III 


passage  his  impatience  keeps 
breaking  out  in  petulance  — 
1  Come,  sir,  quick  ! '  'No,  take 
it  off!'  'Bring  it  along  after 
me!' 

SF48  The  STAFFE  was  the 
shaft  of  the  spear,  and  is  in 
Shakspere  frequently  used 
for  the  spear  itself.  But  it 
may  also  be  the  royal  sceptre 
of  authority,  cp.  "gineta,  a 
captaines  leading  staffe"  Per- 
cival.  This  latter  meaning 
seems  to  be  more  appropriate 
to  the  context :  Macbeth 
fightswithaswordinV.7.3I  ff- 
SF49  SEND  OUT,  'send  out 
messengers  or  scouts'  as  in 
III.  4.  129,  Macbeth  having 
in  mind  the  "Send  out  moe 
horses  "above.  Delius,  think- 
ing the  sentence  unfinished, 
punctuated  it  as  an  anacolu- 
thon.  FO.  I  cuts  off  the  words 
by  semicolons.  SF  50  The 
COME,  SIR,  DISPATCH!  is 
addressed  to  Seyton  or  the 
attendant  who  is  buckling  on 
Macbeth's  armour ;  likewise, 
the  PULL'T  OFF,  I  SAY! 
(v.  54)  is  an  impatient  order 
to  remove  some  piece  of  ar- 
mour, probably  the  helmet  — 
he  will  not  be  afraid,  but 
will  meet  death  full  in  front : 
BRING  IT  AFTER  MEinv.58 
evidently  refers  to  the  same 
thing.  Macbeth's  repetition 
of  DOCTOR,  with  its  second 
demand  for  attention,  graphi- 


47-62 

MACBETH 
Throw  physicke  to  the  dogs;  I  'le  none  of  it. 
—  Come,  put  mine  armour  on;   give  me  my 

staffe. 
Seyton,  send  out. —  Doctor,  the  thanes  flye 

from  me. — 
Come,  sir,  dispatch  ! — If  thou  could'st,  doc- 
tor, cast 
The  water  of  my  land,  finde  her  disease, 
And  purge  it  to  a  sound  and  pristine  health, 
I  would  applaud  thee  to  the  very  eccho, 
That  should  applaud  againe. —  Pull  ?t  off,  I 


say 


What  rubarb,cenny,  or  what  purgative  drugge, 
Would  scowre  these  English  hence?  hear'st 
thou  of  them? 

DOCTOR 
I,  my  good  lord;  your  royall  preparation 
Makes  us  heare  something. 
MACBETH 

Bring  it  after  me. 
I  will  not  be  affraid  of  death  and  bane, 
Till  Birnane  forrest  come  to  Dunsinane. 
DOCTOR 

ASIDE 

Were  I  from  Dunsinane  away  and  cleere, 
Profit  againe  should  hardly  draw  me  heere. 

EXEUNT 


cally  shows  the  medical  man's 
nervousness.  *ff5I  The  first  step  in  seventeenth-century  diagnosis  was  the  examina- 
tion—" casting"— of  the  diseased  patient's  urine.  SF52  PURGE  is  used  in  its  general 
sense  of 'cure.'  *lr55  The  "cyme"  of  FO.  I  seems  to  be  an  overlooked  printer's  error  for 
CENNY,  an  EL.  form  of  'senne,'  i.e.  cassia,  a  purgative  drug:  cp.  "the  common  purgation 
called  casia  fistula11  Cooper;  the  words  that  follow  fix  the  plant  as  a  purgative,  so  that  it 
is  likely  that  the  correction  of  FO.2,  "caeny,"  corresponds  to  Florio's  spelling,  "senie"; 
Turner  spells  the  word  "sene,"Cotgrave  "sene,"  defining  it  as 'a  purge' ;   Boorde,  p.  289, 

208 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

spells  it u  seene,"  and  gives  it  in  a  list  of  purgative  medicines  ;  Minsheu,  who  spells  it "  senie  " 
and  "sene,"also  notes  its  purgative  qualities.  Thevariousemendations — 'rhubarb-clysme' 
Badham,  'sirrah'  Bullock,  'ochyme'  Seager — either  lack  point  or  require  a  commentary. 
PURGATIVE  was  probably  syncopated  in  EL.  E.  <lr  59  BANE  is  used  in  its  EL.  sense  of 
destruction,  N.E. D.  3.  *1F6I  The  doctor  is  evidently  perplexed;  his  interview  has  not 
turned  out  well.  He  had  perhaps  intended  to  let  the  king  know  that  he  is  aware  of  the 
cause  of  Lady  Macbeth's  thick-coming  fancies  ;  he  may  even  have  had  some  brave  notion 
of  charging  him  with  the  murders  of  Duncan  and  Banquo.  But  in  Macbeth's  hands  he 
is  as  wax.  A  pointed  question,  a  curt  order,  a  sharp  arraignment  of  his  profession,  a  jest 
on  his  practice,  and  the  poor  doctor  is  left  helpless  and  alone,  with  no  thought  in  his  mind 
but  to  get  away. 


SCENE    IV:    COUNTRY    NEAR    BIRNANE   WOOD 

DRUM   AND   COLOURS:    ENTER   MALCOLME   SEYWARD 

MACDUFFE   SEYWARDfS    SONNE    MENTETH    CATHNES   ANGUS 

AND   SOLDIERS    MARCHING 


MALCOLME 
OS  INS,    I    hope   the   dayes  are 

neere  at  hand 
That  chambers  will  be  safe. 
MENTETH 

We  doubt  it  nothing. 
SEYWARD 
What  wood  is  this  before  us? 
MENTETH 

The  wood  of  Birnane. 
MALCOLME 
Let  every  souldier  hew  him  downe  a  bough 
And  bear  't   before    him:    thereby  shall    we 

shadow 
The  numbers  of  our  hoast  and  make  dis- 
covery 
Erre  in  report  of  us. 

SOLDIERS 

It  shall  be  done. 


1-7 

Scene  IV  continues  theaction 
of  Scene  II.  <ff  I  COSINS, 
the  EL.  use  of  the  word  in  the 
sense  of  'kinsmen,'  cp.  note 
toV.2.2.  SF2  CHAMBERS 
in  EL.  E.  corresponds  to 
MN.E.  'private  rooms,'  and 
hence  the  omission  of  'our.' 
It  also  describes  the  residence 
of  the  king,  N.  E.  D.  6,  and 
Malcolm's  words  convey  a 
reference  to  the  murder  of 
Duncan  as  well  as  to  the  con- 
ditions described  in  III. 6. 35. 
NOTHING,  the  EL.  adverb. 
<ff5  THEREBY  in  EL.E.  some- 
times seems  to  have  stress 
on  its  first  element :  see  also 
Cor.  V.  3-  133,  2Hen.6.  II.  I. 
187,  L.L.L.  IV.3-283,  Meas. 
III.  1.6.  SHADOW  in  EL.E. 
is  a  regular  word  for '  conceal,' 
cp.  "  His  nose  being  shadow- 
ed by  his  neighbour's  eare" 
Lucr.  14 1 6,  and  "they  seek 


out  all  shifts  that  can  be  .  .  to 
shadow  their  self  love"  J.  Bradford,  died  1555  (cited  in  Cent.  Diet.).  SF6  DISCOVERY  in 
EL.E.  means  'information,'  N.E.  D.  4,  and  is  the  regular  word  for  'reconnaissance';  cp. 
"Here  is  the  guesse  of  their  true  strength  and  forces  By  diligent  discoverie"  Lear  V.  1. 13 
(in  N.E.D.  3  b).     <ff  7    REPORT  OF  US, 'in  reporting  our  numbers,'  cp.  note  to  III. 6.37. 

209 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

*ff8  NO  OTHER  BUT  is  EL.  idiom  for  'no  one  besides';  Macbeth  is  abandoned  by  his 
thanes.  Delius  took  "no  other"  as  'not  otherwise  than/  giving  the  phrase  the  sense  it 
bears  in  1 1 1. 4. 97;  but  such  an  interpretation  makes  Sey  ward's  words  rather  pointless,  as 
Malcolm's  followers  are  probably  already  aware  that  Macbeth  is  at  Dunsinane.  CONFI- 
DENT was  probably  syncopated  to  'conf'dent'  in  EL.E.,  however  harsh  such  syncopa- 
tion may  sound  to  modern  ears;  but  there  is  no  other  clear  instance  of  it  in  Shakspere. 
The  word  sometimes  means  'overbold'  in  EL.E.,  and  probably  has  that  meaning  here. 
<ff9  AND  WILL  INDUREr'and  he  means  to  hold  out  against':  in  M.  E.  and  e.  N.  E.  syntax 
the  subject  is  frequently  left  unexpressed  when  it  can  be  easily  supplied  from  the  context ; 
and  this   idiom    is   found  in 

^X+TJ«£Z  ACT  v        SCENE  IV  8-'4 

curs  without  any  pronoun  be- 

ingexpressed.  "Indure"here  bEYWAKL» 

means 'withstand,'  'oppose,'     We  learne  no  other  but  the  confident  tyrant 
N?kDefc!%ioSUsETTiNG      Keepes  still  in  Dunsinane,  and  will  indure 
downe  before  is  a  regu-     Our  setting  downe  befor  ?t. 

lar    EL.  E.    phrase    for    'be- 
sieging.'    MAINE  is  in  wide  MALCOLME 
use  in  EL.E.  in  the  sense  of  tf  ig  ^is  maine  hope: 

'chief  ;  in  an  effort  to  make  _»  .  i  •  1  ,  ^         f. 

the  sense  more  apt  in  mn.e.,      For  where  there  is  advantage  to  be  given, 
'vain'  has  been  conjectured      Both   more  and  lesse  have  tfiven   him   the 

for  "maine."     SF  1 1    ADVAN-  ro\>n1t 

TAGE  TO  BE  GIVEN  is  like-  reVOll, 

wise  unintelligible  as  mn.  e.,     And  none  serve  with   him  but  constrained 

and  various  emendations  of  things 

the  phrase    have   been    pro-       wn         ".  . 

posed:  Johnson  was  for 'ad-      Whose  hearts  are  absent  too. 

vantage  to  be  gone,'  others 

read  'advantage  to  be  got,'  'to  be  gotten," to  be  ta'en,'  'to  'em  given,'  etc.  But  the  evident 
word  play  on  "  given  "  speaks  for  the  authenticity  of  the  text,  which  makes  good  sense  in  EL.E. 
For  "advantage"  means 'opportunity,'  'chance,' in  Shakspere's  time:  see  N.E.  D.s.v.,  and 
cp.  "The  next  advantage  will  we  take"  Temp.  III. 3. 13  J  the  use  of  the  substantive  verb  in 
the  sense  of  '  have  to,' '  must  needs,'  has  already  been  noted  in  II.  1.43  j  cp.  also  "  You  know, 
sir,  where  I  am  to  go  and  the  necessitie  [i.e.  you  know  where  I  have  to  go  and  the  reason]  " 
Jonson's  Poetaster,  III.  I.  So  here,  'where  an  opportunity  for  desertion  has  to  be  given  [i.e. 
in  the  open  field]  his  followers  have  abandoned  him,  so  that  he  knows  better  than  to  risk 
battle  outside  his  castle.'  SF  1 2  MORE  AND  LESSE  :  the  words  are  used  in  their  EL.  senses 
of  'great  ones,'  'nobles,' and  'those  of  lower  rank  and  station,'  N.E.D.  2.  HAVE  GIVEN 
HIM  THE  REVOLT  :  "revolt"  in  EL.  E.  means  'desertion,'  cp.  "gravitie's  revolt  to  wanton- 
ness" L.L.L.  V. 2.74;  Comenius  glosses  "renegadoes,  that  turn  Turks"  by  "revolters." 
"Given"  in  EL.E.,  as  we  have  already  seen  (cp.  note  to  I.  3- 1 1 9)r  expresses  the  notion  of 
'forcing  one  to  accept,'  and  the  phrase  means  force  him  to  accept  the  consequences  of  their 
desertion;  MN.  idiom  retains  this  association  in 'to  give  one  the  slip.'  SF  13  THINGS  is 
applied  to  persons  in  EL.  E.  to  connote  an  absence  of  volition  ;  in  I  Hen.4  III.  3. 1 3 1  ff-  the 
hostess  resents  Falstaff's  use  of  the  word  "thing"  in  this  sense  of  'personality  without 
will  power,'  and  "beast"  in  the  sense  of  'personality  without  reasoning  power':  "I  am 
no  thing  to  thanke  heaven  on,  I  wold  thou  shouldst  know  it  .  .  Falsi.  .  .  Thou  art  a  beast 
to  say  otherwise.  Host.  Say,  what  beast, thou  knave,  thou!"  MN.E.  in  such  phrases  as 
'poor  thing'  still  retains  this  earlier  shade  of  meaning.  Shakspere  gives  point  to  the  word 
in  the  following  line,  'whose  love,  as  well  as  power  of  volition,  is  absent.' 

210 


ACT  V  SCENE  IV  14-21 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

*1FI4  CENSURES, 'judgements/ a  common  meaning  of  the  word  in  EL.  E.  SFI5  ATTEND, 
'wait  for,'  cp.  "from  thence  he  could  attend  small  succour"  Sidney's  Arcadia,  p.  256. 
TRUE  in  EL.E.  is  very  frequently  applied  to  things  which  are  to  be  relied  upon  as  well  as 
to  trustworthy  persons,  cp.  "true  complaint"  Meas.  V.  1. 24, "true  sight"  Sonn.CXLVIII.2, 
"Your  spirit  is  too  true,  your  feares  too  certaine"  2Hen.4  1. 1.92,  and  IV.  1. 122  of  this  play. 
PUT  ON,  cp.  note  to  II- 3- 1 39-  IF  16  INDUSTRIOUS, 'able,'  'efficient,' an  e.N.E.  mean- 
ing of  the  word  that  is  now  obsolete,  see  N.E.D.  I.  This  'obscurely  worded  sentence'  is 
obscure  only  in  MN.  E.     Macduff,  who  has  known  what  it  is  to  be  loyal  to  his  king,  rebukes 

the  somewhat  harsh  words  of 
Malcolm  about  "constrained 
things"  and  Malcolm's  im- 
plication that  those  who  sur- 
M  ACDUFFE  round  Macbeth  have  no  affec- 

Let  our  just  censures     t[°n  for  him  by  saying  that 

,  J  they  must  suspend  judgement 

Attend  the  true  event,  and  put  we  on  untii  after  the  issue  of  the 

Industrious  souldiership.  battle  which  wil1  decide  the 

matter,    and    must    fight    to 

SEYWARD  the  best   of  their  ability  for 

r-,.  .  what    they  think   to   be   the 

1  he  time  approaches       right.      Seyward    carries    on 

That  will  with  due  decision  make  us  know       the  thought  in  the  following 

■VY/i  1      11  1  1        1      .  lines.     SFI8    SHALL, 'must.' 

What  we  shall  say  we  have  and  what  we      have  and  ..  owe,  f.e.  true 

owe.  N  hearts  and  rightful  allegiance  ; 

Thoughts    speculative   their    unsure   hopes    \ the  words  are  not 'pompous' 

1  r  1  or  'sententious,  but  a  natural 

relate,  /assent  to  Macduff's  caution. 

But  certaine  issue  stroakes  must  arbitrate:    /  *i9    speculative    was 

rri  1         1  .    1         1  .1  /   probably 'spee'lative' in  EL.E. 

Towards  which  advance  the  warre.  /    RElate, 'give  utterance  to,' 

EXEUNT  MARCHING       cp.  "  I  nill  relate,  action  may 

Conveniently  the  rest  con- 
vey" Per.  III.  Gower  55  ;  cp.  also  III. 4. 124.  *ff20  ARBITRATE, 'decide,"  determine,' a 
meaning  now  archaic,  N.E.D.  2  ;  the  object  is  "certaine  issue."  SF2I  TOWARDS  WHICH, 
i.e.  the  "certaine  issue."  WARRE  in  EL.E.  is  often  equivalent  to  'contest,'  'quarrel,'  a 
meaning  still  preserved  in  modern  phrases  like  'war  of  words,'  etc. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  V 

Scene  V  continues  the  action  of  Scene  I  and  in  a  few  brief  words  closes  the  drama  of  Lady 
Macbeth's  life.  Shakspere  does  not  tell  us  the  manner  of  her  death — we  merely  know  that 
she  dies  amid  the  shrieking  of  women.  Even  when,  at  the  end  of  the  play,  Malcolm  refers 
to  her  tragic  end,  it  is  in  the  doubtful  words,  "Who,  as  'tis  thought,  by  selfe  and  violent 
hands  Tooke  off  her  life."  Already  we  have  had  the  physician  warning  the  nurse  against 
a  probable  attempt  by  Lady  Macbeth  at  self-destruction — "Remove  from  her  the  meanes 
of  all  annoyance."  But  this  fear  of  the  doctor's,  the  "cry  of  women,"  and  Malcolm's 
suspicion  are  the  only  hints  we  get  of  the  manner  of  her  end.  In  Act  III  Shakspere  be- 
gins to  draw  our  attention  away  from  Lady  Macbeth  to  her  husband  ;  she  does  not  appear 
at  all  in  Act  IV ;  and  in  the  first  scene  of  Act  V  she  stalks  through  the  action  as  a  spirit 
that  has  already  gone  to  her  doom.     In  this  way  he  gives  to  the  tragedy  a  unity  of  interest 

211 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

which  it  would  not  otherwise  possess.  For  a  double  interest  is  a  divided  interest,  and 
had  Lady  Macbeth  remained  as  prominent  in  the  last  half  of  the  play  as  she  was  in  the 
first  half,  the  fatal  end  of  the  fury-driven,  vision-haunted  Macbeth  would  have  lacked  the 
clearness  and  definiteness  which,  read  back  into  his  tragedy,  gives  to  its  long  course  in 
time,  its  varied  changes  of  place,  and  its  multitudinous  action,  an  aesthetic  completeness 
and  singleness  of  purpose  which  far  transcend  the  mechanical  unities  of  classic  drama. 


SCENE   V:    DUNSINANE:    WITHIN    THE   CASTLE 
ENTER    MACBETH    SEYTON    AND   SOULDIERS   WITH    DRUM 

AND    COLOURS 


1-8 


on 


the 


MACBETH 
ANG    out    our    banners 

outward  walls; 
The  cry  is  still, '  They  come r :  our 

castle's  strength 
Will  laugh  a  siedge   to   scorne: 
heere  let  them  lye 
Till  famine  and  the  ague  eate  them  up: 
Were  they  not  forc'd  with  those  that  should 

be  ours, 
We  might  have  met  them  darefull,  beard  to 

beard, 
And  beate  them  backward  home. 

A  CRY  WITHIN   OF  WOMEN 

What  is  that  noyse? 
SEYTON 
It  is  the  cry  of  women,  my  good  lord. 


Macbeth's  first  words  not 
only  express  his  defiance  of 
Malcolm's  forces,  but  keep 
before  us  the  action  of  Scene 
IV,  with  which  this  is  con- 
tinuous. *ff2  CRY  in  EL.  E. 
may  mean  'report,'  'rumour,' 
N.E.D.  7.  STILL,  'always.' 
SF  3  LYE  is  the  regular  word 
in  EL.  E.  for  the  encampment 
of  an  army,  cp.  N.E.D. 5b 
and  the  quotation  from  Halle's 
Chronicle,  "The  kyng  lay 
before  Bullein  and  was  like 
to  have  conquered  the  same." 
^5  FORC'D  is  an  e.  N.  E. 
verb  meaning  'reinforced,' 
'  strengthened,'  N.  E.  D.  1 3,  and 
not  an  error  for  'farced.' 
OURS,  'belonging  on  our 
side,'  cp.  the  note  to  1.7.26. 
SF6  DAREFULL,cp."Notby 

theprowesseof  hisownedare-  EXIT  SEYTON 

full  hand"  Sylvester  (cited  in 

N.E.D.s.u.).  1F7  ACRY  WITHIN  OF  WOMEN  illustrates  the  word  order  noted  in  III. 6.48. 
The  word  "cry"  seems  to  be  used  in  the  sense  of  'scream,'  'clamour,'  'outcry,'  N.E.D. 6; 
in  this  sense  it  is  not  illustrated  in  N.E.D.  after  1440,  but  Phr.  Gen.  gives  "they  set  up  a 
cry,  clamor  em  sustulerunt11 ;  "to  confuse  all  things  with  hideous  noise  and  cry,  omnia  tu- 
multu  et  vociferatione  concutere11  :  this  is  exactly  the  sense  the  context  requires.  NOYSE 
also  refers  to  'clamour,'  'outcries,'  in  EL. E.,  cp.  "a  lamentable  noise  or  crie,  flebilis  fre- 
mitus11 Baret's  Alvearie.  *1F8  Seyton's  words  show  that  "cry"  means  'shrieking.'  He 
probably  leaves  the  stage  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  outcries,  but  no  EXIT  here  or  at 
v.  16  and  no  ENTRANCE  at  v.  15  are  marked  in  the  FO. 

SF 10  MY  SENCES  WOULD  HAVE  COOL'D :  the  effect  of  fear  is  usually  thought  of  as 
chilling  the  blood,  cp.  "freeze  thy  young  blood"  Ham.  1. 5. 16,  and  "the  bloud  waxing  colde 
for  feare  "  Baret's  Alvearie.   "  Sences  "  :  in  EL.  psychology  the  mind  was  thought  of  as  con- 

212 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  V 


SCENE  V 


9-16 


sisting  of  'outer  senses'  (MN.  'sensations')  and  the  'inner  senses'  (common  sense,  judge- 
ment, memory,  imagination).  Spirits  in  the  blood,  'the  spirits  of  sense,'  ministered  to 
these.  Shakspere  often  uses  "senses"  for  the  'spirits  of  sense,'  cp.  L.L.L.  II.  1.240,242, 
and  Temp.  V.  1 .  66,  and  perhaps  that  is  the  notion  here.    "  Cool "  is  a  stronger  word  in  EL.  E. 

than  in  MN.  E.  and  translates 
frigesco  in  the  Latin  diction- 
aries of  the  time.  CI.  Pr.  cites 
"  Least  [i.e.  lest]  zeale  .  . 
Coole  and  congeale  againe  to 
what  it  was"  John  II.  1.477. 
«ffll  NIGHT-SHRIEKE,'the 
hooting  of  the  night  owl,'  cp. 
"night-owl's  shrike"  Rich.2 
III. 3. 183-  FELL, 'a covering 
of  hair  or  wool,'  N.E.  D.3; 
the  phrase  "fell  of  haire"  is 
used  in  EL. E.  for  'scalp  cov- 
ered with  hair.'  *lrI2  DIS- 
MALL,  'disastrous,'  'tragic,' 
cp.notetol.2.53-  TREATISE 
is  a  common  EL.  word  for 
'  story,' '  narration,'  cp. "  Your 
treatise  makes  me  like  you 
worse  and  worse"  Ven.&Ad. 
774.  SF  13  AS,  'as  if,'  cp. 
note  to  1.4. 1 1.  WITH  means 
'  on '  and  goes  with  SU  PT,  cp. 
note  to  IV.  2. 32.  Macbeth,  in 
the  depths  of  his  despair, 
utters  words  like  those  of 
Herculesin'  Heracles  Maino- 
menos':  'my  bark  is  full  fraught  with  horrors.'  *1r  14  SLAUGHTEROUS  THOUGHTS, 
'murderous  impulses,'  cp.  "Such  butchers  as  yourselves  never  want  A  colour  to  excuse 
your  slaughterous  mind"  Heywood's  Edward  IV  (cited  in  Cent.  Diet.)  ;  see  also  note 
to  1.3. 139-  *ff  15  START,  'make  to  tremble,'  cp.  note  to  V.  1.50.  Macbeth's  familiarity 
with  fear  dates,  of  course,  from  the  murder  of  Duncan  ;  before  that  he  'knew  not  the  taste 
of  fears,'  see  1.3-30  ff.  Yet,  as  in  these  words  of  self-revelation  he  reviews  the  horror  of 
his  reign,  it  reflects  itself  over  the  whole  of  his  life,  and  the  time  when  he  would  start  at 
the  owl's  shriek  (cp.  II. 2. 16),  or  be  frightened  at  a  woman's  story  at  a  winter's  fire  (cp. 
1 1 1. 4. 65),  seems  long  ago.  *lr  1 6  Seyton's  answer,  brief,  respectful,  sounds  like  the  an- 
nouncement of  an  executed  doom. 

Macbeth's  words  that  follow  have  given  rise  to  much  comment.  Taken  as  they  stand 
and  read  as  EL.  E.,they  mean  :  '  She  must  necessarily  have  died  sometime  ;  there  must  have 
come  a  time  when  I  should  have  to  hear  this  message  of  her  doom.  But  we  always  think 
of  death  as  something  that  must  happen  to-morrow,  never  to-day.'  SF  1 7  SHOULD,  ' must 
necessarily  have,' cp.  note  to  II.  3- 127  where  the  notion  of  fittingness  is  implied,  and  note 
to  IV.  3. 20  where  the  notion  of  something  necessary  is  involved.  HEEREAFTER:  some- 
what less  definite  than  in  MN.E.,  cp.  Lady  Macbeth's  "the  all-haile  hereafter"  1.5-56. 
9f  18  WOULD,  'must  inevitably  have  been,'  cp.  note  to  III.  1. 51.  Ignoring  this  notion  of 
necessity  whichthe  EL.  auxiliaries  convey,  many  have  commented  on  the  selfishness  of  Mac- 
beth's words.  But  it  is  because  Macbeth  has  supped  full  of  horrors  that  death  now  be- 
comes an  insignificant  fact  in  life ;  he  thinks  life  itself  is  meaningless  delusion,  and  why 

213 


MACBETH 
I  have  almost  forgot  the  taste  of  feares: 
The  time  has  beene  my  sences  would  have 

cool'd 
To   heare  a  night-shrieke;   and  my  fell  of 

haire 
Would  at  a  dismall  treatise  rowze  and  stirre 
As  life  were  in't:  I  have  supt  full  with  horrors; 
Direnesse,    familiar     to     my     slaughterous 

thoughts, 
Cannot  once  start  me. 

RE-ENTER   SEYTON 

Wherefore  was  that  cry? 

SEYTON 
The  queene,  my  lord,  is  dead. 

EXIT   SEYTON 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

should  one  bother  about  ending  it  sooner  or  later?  A  TIME,  i.e.  a  fitting  time,cp.  "Though 
you  heare  now,  too  late,  yet  nowe'sa  time"  Timon  II. 2. 152.  SF  19  The  bitterness  of  Mac- 
beth's  words,  with  their  iterating  rhythm,  "  '  "  ||  "  ■  '  "  ||  "  *  '  "?  may  have  been  intensified 
by  a  heart-sickness  at  his  always  deferred  hope  of  cheating  Banquo's  line  of  the  fulfilment 
of  the  witches'  prophecy.  Now  at  last  the  to-morrows  are  ended  and  there  is  no  hope 
more.  Banquo  has  triumphed,  all  the  long  fight  has  been  for  nothing,  'to  be  nothing/  a 
mere  cipher  in  time's  annals  —  'time's  fool.'  TO  MORROW:  Halliwell  thought  that  an 
engraving  in  Barclay's  Ship  of  Fooles,  1570,  representing  a  fool  with  crows  sitting  on 
his  cap  and  on  each  hand  and  the  word  eras  written  above  each  one,  may  have  suggested 
the  notion  of  to-morrows  lighting  fools  the  way  to  dusty  death.  The  passage  which  this 
illustrates  is : 

They  folowe  the  crowes  crye  to  their  great  sorowe : 

lCraSy   'eras,1  ^cras^  to  morowe  we  shall  amende, 

And  if  we  mende  not  then,  then  shall  we  the  next  morowe ; 

Or  els  shortly  after  we  shall  no  more  offende. 

Amende,  mad  foole,  when  God  this  grace  doth  sende. 


ACT  V 


SCENE  V 


17-28 


It  may  be  worth  noting  that  in  Old  and  Middle  High  German  an  r  was  heard  in  the  caw 
of  the  crow,  giving  the  form  craa  for  'caw.'  The  word  "craw"  is  also  found  in  English 
for  the  caw  of  a  crow,  see  N.E.  D.s.v.  SF  20  PETTY  in  EL.  E.  has  a  wider  range  of  use 
than  in  MN.E.  in  the  sense 
which  we  still  preserve  in 
'petty  felony'  and  in  'petty 
jury,'  and  does  not  necessa- 
rily connote  annoyance.  Co- 
menius  calls  a  primary  school 
a  "petty  schoole" ;  Coles 
glosses  the  word  by  paruus, 
exiguus  ;  cp.  also  "petty  ar- 
tire  [artery]  "  Ham.  I.  4.  82, 
"petty  present"  Ant.  &  CI. 
1.5.45-  PACE:  cp.  "a  pace 
or  manner  of  going,  incessus  " 
Phr.Gen.  <ff2I  TO  in  EL. 
expressions  of  time  is  often 
used  where  MN.E.  prefers 
'until' ;  cp."  being  two  houres 
to  day"  Merch.  V.  1.303,  and 
"  For  since  the  birth  of  Caine, 
the  first  male-childe,  To  him 
that  did  but  yesterday  sus- 
pire" John  III.  4.  79.  RE- 
CORDED TIME:  a  similar 
notion  of  the  course  of  the 
world  as  being  a  book  of 
record  occurred  in  II.  4.  2. 
SF  22  LIGHTED  in  EL.  E.  is 
a  common  synonym  of  'guided':  one  needs  only  to  think  of  the  London  of  Shakspere's 
day,  with  its  link-boys,  to  appreciate  the  association.  IF  23  DUSTY  is  taken  by  Steevens 
as  a  reference  to  the  'dust  to  dust'  of  the  burial  service.  Collier  cites  Anthonie  Copley's 
A  Fig  for  Fortune,  1596  (Sp.  Soc,  p.  49),  "Time  and  the  grave  did  first  salute  thy  nature, 
Inviting  it  to  dustie  death's  defeature"  ;  the  same  notion  is  found  in  "  Death  is  the  drearie 

214 


MACBETH 
She  should  have  dy'de  heereafter; 
There  would  have  beene  a  time  for  such  a 

word. 
To  morrow,  and  to  morrow,  and  to  morrow, 
Creepes  in  this  petty  pace  from  day  to  day 
To  the  last  syllable  of  recorded  time, 
And  all  our  yesterdayes  have  lighted  fooles 
The  way  to  dusty  death.    Out,  out,  breefe 

candle ! 
Life  's  but  a  walking  shadow,  a  poore  player 
That  struts  and  frets  his  houre  upon  the 

stage 
And  then  is  heard  no  more:  it  is  a  tale 
Told  by  an  ideot,  full  of  sound  and  fury, 
Signifying  nothing. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

dad  and  dust  the  dame  Of  all  f lesh-frailtie  "  Bodenham's  Belvedere,  p.  23 1  r  citing  a  near-by 
verse  of  Copley's.  "Dust"  in  M.E.  and  e.  N.E.  connoted  '  worthlessness,'  'emptiness/ 
N.E.D.  sb.  I,  3  d,  and  this  association  attached  to  "dusty  "  in  EL.  E. ;  in  Tro.&Cr.  1 1 1. 2. 195 
we  have  the  same  notion,  "mightie  states  characterlesse  are  grated  To  dustie  nothing." 
For  the  notion  of  THE  WAY  TO  DEATH,  cp.  "This  way  to  death  my  wretched  sonnes 
are  gone"  Titus  III.  1.98.  Shakspere  may  have  had  in  mind  the  words  in  Florio's  Mon- 
taigne, I.xix,  "All  daies  march  toward  death."  As  Macbeth  reviews  his  own  empty  yes- 
terdays of  promises  kept  to  his  ear  and  broken  to  his  hope,  he  bitterly  says,  'All  men  are 
fools  and  life  an  idiot's  tale!'  From  the  notion  of  light  he  passes  to  that  of  a  candle; 
much  the  same  notions  are  linked  in  "  Heere  burnes  my  candle  out ;  I,  heere  it  dies,  Which 
whiles  it  lasted  gave  King  Henry  light"  3Hen.6  11,6.1.  SF  24  WALKING  in  EL.E.  is 
used  of  the  stalking  movements  of  spirits  or  spectres, —  cp.  note  to  V.  1 .  3r —  and  SHADOW 
is  applied  to  any  spectral  illusion  ;  Guildenstern's  words,  Ham.  II.  2. 262,  that  the  substance 
of  ambition  is  the  shadow  of  a  dream,  contain  the  same  notion  of  haunting  unreality.  The 
thought  of  this  unreality  of  life  leads  Macbeth  on  to  the  notion  of  the  stage-player,  and 
recalls  that  proud  moment,  years  ago,  when  he  heard  himself  hailed  as  king  to  be.  Then 
it  was  the  happy  prologue,  the  swelling  act,  the  imperial  theme :  the  play  is  over  now, 
with  its  hour  of  strut  and  fret,  and  the  poor  actor  is  to  be  heard  no  more.  This  last  is 
the  bitter  drop  in  the  cup  Macbeth  is  draining — 'no  son  of  his  succeeding,'  the  dynastic 
hope  now  shattered  and  all  that  he  has  sacrificed  his  soul  for  gone  for  naught.  SF  26  The 
thought  of  the  actor's  strutting  and  fretting  leads  on  to  that  of  an  idiot's  tale  full  of  sound 
and  fury;  the  association  of  life  and  a  tale  is  found  also  in  John  III. 4. 108,  "Life  is  as 
tedious  as  a  twice-told  tale  Vexing  the  dull  eare  of  a  drowsie  man"  ;  but  here  Macbeth's 
bitterness  intensifies  the  figure.  The  nineteenth  chapter  of  the  first  book  of  Florio's 
Montaigne  is  full  of  similar  notions  and  may  have  suggested  the  verbiage  of  this  passage  : 
"being  faire  and  gently  led  on  by  her  hand  in  a  slow  and  as  it  were  unperceived  descent 
by  little  and  little,  and  step  by  step  ['the  petty  pace'],  she  roules  us  into  that  miserable 
state  and  day  by  day  seeks  to  acquaint  us  with  it."  The  player  notion  is  also  found  here  : 
"  He  hath  plaied  his  part.  .  .  Make  room  for  others,  as  others  have  done  for  you." 

The  rhythm  of  this  passage  shows  the  marvellous  capabilities  of  English  stress  to  re- 
flect action :  "  have  lighted  fooles  The  way  to  dusty  death,"  with  its  firm  and  regular  for- 
ward movement,  pictures  to  the  mind  the  action  the  words  describe.  "Out,  out,  breefe 
candle,"  reflects  the  act  that  Macbeth  intends.  In  "  Life's  but  a  walking  shadow,  a  poore 
player"  the  long  waves  in  "life,"  "walking,"  "poore,"  add  to  the  notion  of  stalking  that 
the  rhythm  expresses.  In  "  struts  and  frets,"  with  its  short,  explosive  impulses,  we  have  a 
picture  of  the  actor  himself.  "  And  then  is  heard  no  more"  with  the  long  secondary  impulse 
on  "no"  and  the  lingering  stress  on  "more,"  is~FuTl  of  pathos.  The  reversals,  short  and 
quick,  in  "it  is  a  tale,  Told  by  an  ideot,"  suggesting  inconsequence  of  thinking;  "full  of 
sound  and  fury,"  with  its  swelling  wave  closing  in  an  unstressed  impulse ;  "  Signifying 
nothing,"  with  its  bold  start  and  its  impotent  conclusion  recalling  the  inconclusive  rhythms 
of  Hamlet — all  these  adaptations  of  the  verse  to  the  thought  show  Shakspere's  marvellous 
command  over  the  resources  of  English  rhythm. 

Macbeth  is  evidently  on  the  point  of  suicide.  The  double  imperative  "Out,  out,  breefe 
candle!"  clearly  points  to  action  (cp.  V.  1.38)  ;  the  words  cannot  mean  that  Lady  Mac- 
beth's candle  is  out,  or  that  Macbeth  wishes  that  life's  candle  might  be  extinguished.  The 
only  construction  that  can  be  put  upon  them  is  that  of  an  immediate  purpose  to  take 
his  life.  Like  Hercules,  when  he-realizes-thre-TTtterTiopelessness  of  the  future,  when  he 
sees  his  life  as  behind  him  and  no  longer  as  in  a  vision  before,  he  will  destroy  himself. 
The  impatient  words  he  speaks  upon  the  entrance  of  the  messenger  likewise  point  to 
this  action  as  that  intended  by  Shakspere, — "Thou  com'st  to  use  thy  tongue"  meaning 
that  the  messenger  is  dazed  by  the  scene  his  eyes  present  to  him  and  is  helplessly  staring 
at  what  he  sees.  'Thou  com'st  to  use  thy  tongue,  not  thine  eyes.  Why  stand'st  thou 
there  staring  like  a  fool?     Thy  story  quickly!' 

215 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


*ff30  The  messenger  excuses  himself  by  the  strangeness  of  his  news.  GRACIOUS  MY 
LORD:  for  the  word  order  cp.  III.  2. 27.  SF  3 1  SHOULD, 'must/ 'am  obliged  to,' as  in 
v.  17.    I  SAY/ I  declare';  the 

words  were   objected  to   by       AQT    y  SCENE    V  29~46 

Keightley  as  'needless,  and 
stricken  out  to  make  'good 
metre.'  SF  32  SAY  is  used 
absolutely  in  its  EL.  connota- 
tion of  'tell,'  cp.  "Cor.  First 
hearemespeake.  Tribs.  Well, 
say"  Cor.  III.  3-  41.  SF  34 
ANON  METHOUGHT,'pres- 
ently  it  seemed  to  me  that.' 
«ff  36  ENDURE,'suffer,'cp.V. 
4.9.  «TF  37  MILE,like"hors," 
has  no  plural  ending  in  O.E., 
and  ine.N.E.retainsthis  flex- 
ionless  form  which  in  vulgar 
English  still  survives,cp.  note 
to  II.  4. 14.  <IF  38  The  rhythm 
is  itself  a  threat— "  "".  <ff  39 
NEXT  still  retained  its  origi- 
nal meaning  of  'nearest'  in 
EL.E.  SHALL  is  changed  to 
'shalt'in  MN. editions  ;  but  in 
EL.E.  the  apparently  third 
personal  ending  -s  is  often 
attached  to  the  second,  and 
the  forms  "will"  and  "wilt," 
"shall"  and  " shall,"  appear 
side  by  side.  The  FO.  in  Ant. 
&Cl.V.2.208has  "shall"  for 
"shalt."  SF  40  CLING, 'shrivel 
up,'  cp.  "That  .  .  clings  not 
his  guts  with  niggish  fare" 
Surrey,Eccl.V  (citedinN.E.D. 
3  c) ;  the  word  had  this  sense 
of  'shrivelling'  in  O. E.  and 
M.E.,  but  was  used  intransi- 
tively. SOOTH,  'truth,'  still 
in  archaic  use.  SF  42  PULL 
IN  in  EL.  E.,  as  in  MN.  E.,  has 
two  meanings,  'to  check'  or 
'  restrain,'  and  '  to  draw  back.' 
Steevens  took  the  former 
meaning.  But  it  is  difficult 
to  think  of  Macbeth  restrain- 
ing resolution  in  this  crisis, 
and  coupling  the  restrained 
resolution  with  fear.    Mason 


ENTER   A   MESSENGER 

Thou  com'st  to  use  thy  tongue;   thy  story 

quickly. 

1  MESSENGER 

Gracious  my  lord, 

I  should  report  that  which  I  say  I  saw, 

But  know  not  how  to  doo  Tt. 

MACBETH 

Well,  say,  sir. 
MESSENGER 
As  I  did  stand  my  watch  upon  the  hill, 
I    look'd    toward    Byrnane,    and    anon    me 

thought 
The  wood  began  to  move. 

MACBETH 

Lyar  and  slave ! 

MESSENGER 
Let  me  endure  your  wrath,  if  ft  be  not  so: 
Within  this  three  mile  may  you  see  it  com- 

ming; 
I  say,  a  moving  grove. 

MACBETH 

If  thou  speak'st  false 
Upon  the  next  tree  shall  thou  hang  alive, 
Till  famine  cling  thee :  if  thy  speech  be  sooth, 
I  care  not  if  thou  dost  for  me  as  much. 
I  pull  in  resolution,  and  begin 
To  doubt  th'  equivocation  of  the  fiend 
That  lies  like  truth  :  '  Feare  not,  till  Byrnane 

wood 
Do  come  to  Dunsinane':  and  now  a  wood 
Comes  toward  Dunsinane. 


took  the  latter  meaning,  and 

cited  Fletcher's  Sea  Voyage  III.  I,  "All  my  spirits,  as  if  they  had  heard  my  passing-bell 

go  for  me,  Pull  in  their  powers  and  give  me  up  to  destiny."     But  "pull  in"  here  reflects 

216 


THE    TRAGEDIE     OF    MACBETH 

the  EL.  psychology  of  life  —  the  spirits  drawing  in  their  vital  instruments  preparatory  to 
death.  This  thought  hardly  suits  the  context,  for  Macbeth's  "Arme,  arme  ! "  are  not  the 
words  of  one  resigning  himself  to  death.  And  that  Macbeth  pulls  in  his  own  resolution 
leaves  the  same  difficulty  as  before.  u  Pull"  may  be  the  independent  verb  used  in  a  sense 
not  yet  recorded  for  EL. E.  Cent.  Diet,  quotes  a  passage  from  Fletcher  where  "pulled" 
seems  to  mean  'reduce/  'abate' :  u  His  rank  flesh  shall  be  pulled  with  daily  fasting."  Or 
it  may  be  a  misprint.  Johnson  suggested  "pall"  in  the  sense  of  'languish/  and  the  word 
makes  even  better  sense  than  he  dreamed  :  for  "appale,"  "appall,"  have  parallel  meanings 
in  EL.  E. :  either  can  mean  'to  wax  faint  in  any  quality' ;  the  words  frequently,  too,  con- 
note '  dismay/  see  N.  E.  D.  s.v.  (One  citation  in  N.  E.  D.,  dated  1 450,  is  :  "  Yf  theise  men  ap- 
pall and  lacke  when  you  do  call " ;  here  the  word,  though  a  century  earlier  than  Shakspere, 
has  the  meaning  'lose  heart  or  resolution.')  Aphetic  forms  of  "appall"  are  common  in 
EL.  E.,  see  N.E.D.  Johnson's  "pall,"  therefore,  would  suggest  in  EL.  E.  the  same  notion 
that  we  have  in  Hamlet,  III.  1.84,  "the  native  hew  of  resolution  Is  sicklied  o're  with  the 
pale  cast  of  thought  [i.e.  anxiety]."  Or,  again,  the  misprint  may  be  for  "dull"  (a  turned 
d  in  the  FO.  type  would  scarcely  be  distinguishable  from  a  p).  "Dull"  in  EL.  E.  is  com- 
monly associated  with  'spiritlessness' ;  and  a  verb  "to  dull"  in  the  sense  of  'become 
stupid'  is  cited  in  N.E.D.  from  the  fourteenth  to  the  seventeenth  centuries  (the  MN. instances 
seem  to  imply  'make  leaden  or  dull  in  color').  The  dictionary  also  records,  s.v.  7,  an 
absolute  meaning  of  'become  listless/  but  "he  dradde  [i.e.  feared]  moche  of  the  forseid 
word  and  greatly  dulled  therewith"  Gesta  Romanorum,  1440,  is  its  latest  citation  for  this 
sense.  Here,  however,  we  have  the  association  of  'dazed  will'  and  'fear/  and  it  is  quite 
possible  that  this  meaning  survived  in  Shakspere's  time.  (The  next  meaning  of  the  word, 
i.e.  to  weary,  is  not  illustrated  in  N.E.D.  later  than  1540,  but  was  in  current  use  in  EL.  E., 
see  Baret's  Alvearie  and  Sonn.  CII.  14.)  Cooper  gives  "obtorpesco,  to  be  very  slow  or 
dull :  to  faint  for  feare  :  to  be  benummed  with  fear."  Baret  and  Holyoke  have  the  same 
gloss;  cp.,  also,  "to  cause  astonnedness  or  dullness  of  the  members"  and  "a  faint  cour- 
age, a  dull  spirit"  Baret's  Alvearie,  and  "  Dull  not  device  by  coldnesse  and  delay"  Oth.  II. 
3-394.  The  notion  of  'dazed  will' — for  the  "resolution"  in  EL.  E.  is  the 'will  power' — is 
just  the  one  which  fits  the  words  that  follow :  the  sudden  and  strange  news  that  Macbeth 
hears  dulls  his  will  and  shakes  his  faith  in  the  witches.  *ff43  DOUBT, 'fear," become  afraid 
of/ a  common  EL.E.  meaning  of  the  word.  EQUIVOCATION  :  cp.  note  to  II.  3- 12.  Macbeth 
must  have  already  felt  the  fear  he  voices  here,  else  he  would  not  have  been  so  ready  to 

call  the  prophecies  "equivo- 

ACT  V  SCENE  V  46-52     %gj£&£g2 

,  ,  .       that   he  has  been  bargaining 

Arme,  arme,  and  out !      with  Satan,  a  fact  he  has 
If  this  which  he  avouches  does  appeare,  never  allowed  himself  to  look 

#t»i  .  pi    .      ,  1  . .  |_  squarely  in  the  face  before. 

1  here  is  nor  trying  hence  nor  tarrying  here.       n        J 

I  'ginne  to  be  a-weary  of  the  sun,  <ff47,  48,  49,  50  could  hardly 

And  wish  th?  estate  or  th'  world  were  now  un-     have  been  written  by  the  same 

,  hand  as  that  which  wrote  vv. 

don.  20-28,    nor    do    the   padded 

Rind  the  alarum  bell!    blow,  winde!   come,      phrases,    "does    appeare," 

1       I  "now     undon,"    sound    like 

WracKe-  Shakspere.   <ff  47  APPEARE, 

At  least  wee'ldyewithharnesse  on  our  backe.      'become  visible/  but  the  word 

EXEUNT       is  almost  as  flat  in  EL.E.  as 

it  is  in  MN.E.     *ff48   NOR  .  . 

NOR,  the  EL.  form  of  the  'neither  .  .  nor'  idiom.      <ff49    A-WEARY  OF  THE  SUN  is  an 

EL.  phrase  for  tcedium  vitas.      SF  50    TH'  ESTATE  O'TH' WORLD  WERE  NOW  UNDON, 

217 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

after  u  Life  .  .  is  a  tale  Told  by  an  ideot,  full  of  sound  and  fury,  Signifying  nothing,"  sounds 
like  a  row  of  accepted  emendations.  SF5I  THE  ALARUM  BELL:  cp.  note  to  II. 3.85. 
WRACK E,  'destruction':  the  word  is  still  used  in  the  phrase  'rack  and  ruin/  though  its 
e.  N.  E.  w  has  been  lost.  Macbeth  here  invokes  the  impending  storm  in  the  same  mad  fury 
that  characterizes  Lear's  "Blow,  windes  and  crack  your  cheeks;  rage!  blow!"  III. 2. 1. 
ALARU  M  was  probably  syncopated  to  '  alarm '  (both  forms  are  common  in  EL.  E.),  for  the 
normal  stress  of  imperative  and  noun  is  '  ".  SF52  HARNESSE:  the  M.  E.  and  e.N.E. 
word  for  armour,  still  in  archaic  use. 


SCENE   VI:    DUNSINANE    BEFORE   THE    CASTLE 
DRUMME  AND  COLOURS:  ENTER  MALCOLME  SEYWARD  MACDUFFE 
AND    THEIR   ARMY   WITH    BOUGHES  I -10 


MALCOLME 
OW   neere    enough :    your   leavy 

skreenes  throw  downe, 
And  shew   like    those   you   are. 

You,  worthy  unkle, 
Shall  with  my  cosin,  your  right 
noble  sonne, 
Leade  our  first  battell :  worthy  Macduffe  and 

wee 
Shall  take  upon  's  what  else  remaines  to  do, 
According  to  our  order. 

SEYWARD 

Fare  you  well. 
Do  we  but  finde  the  tyrant's  power  to  night, 
Let  us  be  beaten,  if  we  cannot  fight. 

MACDUFFE 
Make  all  our  trumpets  speak;  give  them  all 

breath, 
Those  clamorous  harbingers  of  blood  and 
death.  exeunt 

ALARUMS   CONTINUED 


SF  I  LEAVY  is  the  normal 
form  of  M.E.  "levi,"  and  is 
common  in  e.N.E.  MN.E. 
4  leafy '  is  made  from  the  noun 
4 leaf/  SF2  SHEW, 'disclose 
yourselves  in  your  true  form,' 
cp.  I.  3-  54.  IF 4  BATTELL 
from  the  fourteenth  to  the 
eighteenth  centuries  means  a 
file  or  line  of  troops,  acies, 
N.E.D.8.  <ff5  TO  DO, 'to  be 
done/  cp.  note  to  V.  8-30. 
<lr  6  ORDER  is  probably  *  plan 
of  battle'  rather  than  'com- 
mand/ cp.  "we  put  our  men 
into  order,  legiones  instruxi- 
mus"  Coles.  SF7DO,  'if  we 
do,'  the  M.  E.  subjunctive  still 
current  in  EL.  E.  TO  NIGHT 
seems  to  be  a  time  suggestion 
placing  the  battle  in  the  late 
afternoon.  SF  9  GIVE  THEM 
ALL  BREATH,  'put  breath 
into  them,'  'make  them  speak.' 
SFlO  HARBINGERS,cp.  note 
to  1.4.45  ;  the  word  retains  its 
full  form,CLAM'ROUS  being 
syncopated.  The  EL.  stage 
direction  ALARUMS  usually  denotes  the  din  and  noise  of  battle.  CONTINUED  here  seems 
to  mean  'continuous,'  and  the  stage  direction  to  represent  the  trumpet  blasts  challenging 
the  defenders  of  the  castle.  The  battle  immediately  follows,  though  Shakspere  represents 
it  as  well  under  way  when  Scene  VII  opens.  The  action  of  Scene  VII  is  closely  joined 
to  that  of  Scene  V :  Macbeth  was  at  first  resolved  to  stand  a  siege ;  but  on  hearing  the 
news  of  the  moving  wood  he  decided  to  put  his  fate  at  once  to  the  test  in  an  immediate 
sally.     Scene  VI  forms  the  connecting  link. 

218 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SCENE   VII:    THE    BATTLEFI 
ENTER    MACBETH 

MACBETH 
HEY  have  tied  me  to  a  stake;   I 

cannot  flye, 
But   beare-like  I  must  fight  the 

course.    What  Ts  he 
That  was  not  borne  of  woman? 
Such  a  one 
Am  I  to  feare,  or  none. 

ENTER  YOUNG    SEYWARD 
YOUNG  SEYWARD 

What  is  thy  name? 
MACBETH 
Thou  Tlt  be  affraid  to  heare  it. 
YOUNG  SEYWARD 
No;   though  thou  call'st  thy  selfe  a  hoter 

name 
Then  any  is  in  hell. 

MACBETH 

My  name  fs  Macbeth. 

YOUNG  SEYWARD 
The  divell  himselfe  could  not  pronounce  a 

title 
More  hatefull  to  mine  eare. 
MACBETH 

No,  nor  more  fearefull. 
YOUNG    SEYWARD 
Thou  lyest,  abhorred  tyrant;  with  my  sword 
I  'le  prove  the  lye  thou  speak'st. 

FIGHT  AND  YOUNG    SEYWARD   SLAINE 

MACBETH 
Thou  wast  borne  of  woman. 
But  swords   I    smile  at,  weapons  laugh   to 
scorne, 

219 


ELD 


I-I2 


SF2  COURSE  in  EL.E.  was 
the  technical  term  for  a  round 
of  fightingin  the  sport  of  bear- 
baiting.  Gloucester  uses  the 
same  figure  in  Lear  III. 7. 54. 
Macbeth  is  pushed  to  the  last 
extremity  with  but  one  pro- 
phecy to  tie  to,  and  is  afraid 
that  will  turn  out  to  have 
been  equivocal.  He  repeats 
this  over  to  himself,  and,  impa- 
tient to  try  its  efficacy,  glee- 
fully welcomes  young  Sey- 
ward  as  a  test,  finishing  him 
off  with  a  satisfied  'Well,  it 
held  for  once  ;  thou  wast  born 
of  woman.'  WHAT'S,  'who 
is,'  cp.  note  to  II. 3. 21.  *ff4 
AM  I  TO  FEARE,  'am  I  go- 
ing to  fear,'cp.  note  to  1 1. 1. 43* 
*ff  5  TO  HEARE,  'at  hearing,' 
the  common  EL.  infinitive 
idiom.  SF7  THEN  ANY  IS, 
'than  any  that  is,'  the  EL. 
omitted  relative.  SF 10  LY- 
EST,  'ly'st,'  as  in  IV.  2. 83, 
with  ABHORRED  three  sylla- 
bles. SF  I  I  Macbeth  has  now 
tested  the  prophecy,  and  in 
his  words  appears  a  fresh 
confidence. 

<IrI5  BEEST,  monosyllabic 
in  EL.E.,  cp.  "seest,"  II. 4. 5- 
<ffl6  STILL, 'always.'  «TF  1 7 
KERNES  was  frequently  used 
in  EL.  E.  for  peasant  soldiers, 
cp.  1.2.  13.  SF  18  STAVES, 
'spears,'  cp.  note  to  V.3-48. 
EITHER  is  frequently  a  mon- 
osyllable in  EL.E.;  this  loss 
of  intervocalic  th  occurs  also 
in  "thither"  and  "whether" 
('whither,'cp.  note  to  IV. 2. 73), 
which  had  forms  "th'er"  and 
"wh'er"in  EL.E.;  cp. "which 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


hath  thine  honour  reft  from 
thee  and  cither  by  force  of 
hand, "etc.,  Peele's  Sir  Clyo- 
monand  Sir  Clamydes,  III.  73 
(the  poem  is  in  septenarius 
verse),  and  "either  well  or  yll 
according  to  thy  [see  note  to 

IV.  1. 71]   intent"  Faire  Em, 

V.  1.25;  cp.,  also,  Cass.  IV. 
1.23,  Rich.3  1. 2. 64,  etc.  The 
THOU  is  probably  not  'un- 
grammatical,'  but  in  Mac- 
duff's mind  the  subject  of 
some  verb  like  'must  meet 
me.'  *ff  19  UNBATTERED: 
in  an  anticipation  of  the  fierce- 
ness of  the  combat  between 
him  and  Macbeth.  SF  20  UN- 
DEEDED  :  cp.  "well  educated 
of  the  king  and  proving  nobly 
deeded"  Albion's  England, 
377  (cited  in  N.  E.  D.  s.v.). 
SHOULD'ST,'must,'cp.  note 
to  II. 3.  127:  the  stress  is, 
"There  thou  should'st  be." 
SF  21  CLATTER  in  EL.  E.  is 
applied  to  anyclangingnoise ; 
cp.  'with  clattering  of  cym- 
bals' Comenius's  Janua,  643- 
It  also  means  the  din  of  loud 
voices,  N.E.  D.  2;  hence  the 
"bruited"  which  follows.  OF 
GREATEST  NOTE:  cp.  III. 
2.44.  *ff  22  SEEMES  BRUIT- 
ED, '  seems  to  be  announced/ 
the  EL.  participle  construc- 
tion in  indirect  discourse. 
«ff24  GENTLY  here  is  usu- 
ally interpreted  as  meaning 
'without  resistance,'  'with- 
out reluctance' ;  but  no  such 
meaning  is  given  in  N.E. D., 
and  Schmidt's  citation  from 
Temp.  1.2.298,  "doe  my 
spryting  gently,"  is  obviously 
an  instance  of  the  common 
EL.  meaning  of  the  word,  viz. 
'courteously.'  It  is  possible 
that  'tamely'  is  the  meaning, 
based  upon  the  sense  of  "  gen- 
tle" as  used  in  1.6.3-  REN- 
DRED,  'surrendered,'  a  com- 
mon   meaning   of   the    word 


ACT  V  SCENE  VII  13-29 

Brandished  by  man  that  Ts  of  a  woman  borne. 

EXIT 
ALARUMS:   ENTER   MACDUFFE 

MACDUFFE 
That  way  the  noise  is.     Tyrant,  shew  thy 

face! 
If  thou  beest  slaine  and  with  no  stroake  of 

mine, 
My  wife  and  children's  ghosts  will  haunt  me 

still. 
I  cannot  strike  at  wretched  kernes,  whose 

armes 
Are  hyr'd  to  beare  their  staves:  either  thou, 

Macbeth, 
Or  else  my  sword  with  an  unbattered  edge 
I    sheath    againe    undeeded.      There    thou 

should'st  be; 
By  this  great  clatter,  one  of  greatest  note 
Seemes  bruited.    Let  me  finde  him,  Fortune, 
And  more  I  begge  not. 

EXIT:   ALARUMS 
ENTER   MALCOLME  AND   SEYWARD 

SEYWARD 
This    way,    my    lord;    the    castle's    gently 

rendred : 
The  tyrant's  people  on  both  sides  do  fight; 
The  noble  thanes  do  bravely  in  the  warre; 
The  day  almost  it  selfe  professes  yours, 
And  little  is  to  do. 

MALCOLME 

We  have  met  with  foes 
That  strike  beside  us. 

SEYWARD 

Enter,  sir,  the  castle. 

EXEUNT:   ALARUM 
220 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


in  EL.  E.  In  the  past  tense  of  verbs  ending  in  -en,  like  "happen,"  and  in  -er,  like  "render," 
the  e  of  the  verb  stem  was  often  dropped;  whether  this  represents  an  actual  EL.  form  of 
these  words  or  was  merely  a  way  of  representing  the  vocalic  character  of  the  liquid  or 
nasal  has  not  yet  been  made  clear.  SF25  means  that  the  royal  household  is  divided  and 
that  their  half-heartedness  practically  amounts  to  fighting  upon  Malcolm's  side.  *ff  26 
DO  BRAVELY  is  a  common  EL.  phrase  meaning  to  act  in  a  highly  creditable  way;  the 
phrase  is  not  found  in  N.E. D.  but  depends  on  DO  in  the  sense  of  'behaving,'  cp.  "to  doe 
or  exercise:  to  beare,  to  behave,  gero"  Baret,  "Do  bravely,  horse"  Ant.&Cl.  1.5.22,  and 
"see  you  do  it  bravely"  Titus  IV. 3- 1 13-  WARRE,  'battle,'  as  in  V.4.2I.  SF  27  DAY, 
'battle,'  cp.  1.3-38.  ALMOST  IT  SELFE  seems  to  go  together,  meaning  'of  its  own  ac- 
cord.' PROFESSES  YOURS, 'declares  for  your  party,' cp."  by  the  saint  whom  I  professe" 
Meas.  IV.2.I9I.  SF  28  TO  DO, 'to  be  done,' cp.  V. 6.5  ;  the  passive  and  active  infinitives 
have  the  same  form  in  1.  M.  E.,  due  to  the  loss  of  final  -e  in  the  former  idiom  ;  some  of  these 
appear  in  EL. E.,  and  one,  'is  to  let,'  still  survives.  *lr29  BESIDE  US, 'so  as  to  miss  us,' 
a  meaning  of  the  preposition  now  obsolete,  cp.  "oh,  do  him  not  the  wrong  to  look  beside 
him, for  if  you  see  him  not  he  comes  by  to  no  purpose"  Gaule,  1629  (cited  in  N.E.D.4a), 
and  "to  go  besides  or  out  of  the  right  way,"  "the  lot  did  fall  besides  the  persons  fit  or 

meet,  i.e.  the  lot  happen'd  to 
ACT    V  SCENE    VII  30-35       ^emri»t  were  nothing  meet" 


At  this  point  Dyce  made  a) 

new  scene  division  which  the 

Cambridge  Text  follows.  But 

the  action  is  continuous  with 

Qye  Macduff's    words   "Let   me 

finde  him."  The  actors 
come  on  and  off  the  stage  as 
the  battle  ebbs  and  flows,  the 
reader's  interest  now  with 
Malcolm's  party,  now  with 
Macbeth's ;  but  the  main  ac- 
tion is  continuous  :  Scene  V 
represents  Macbeth's  prepa- 
ration for  the  struggle,  Scene 
VI  Malcolm's,  Scene  VII  the 
battle  itself.  A  necessary 
change  of  scene  from  the  bat- 
tle-field to  the  court  of  the 
castle  occurs  after  Macbeth's 
death  in  v.  34  (see  the  intro- 
ductory note  to  Scene  VIII). 
To  make  a  new  scene  here 
with  the  place  direction 'Another  part  of  the  plain' or 'Another  part  of  the  field' awkwardly 
interrupts  the  continuity  of  the  battle  with  a  gap  in  the  action  which  the  imagination  finds  it 
hard  to  fill.  *ff  30  PLAY  THE  ROMAN  FOOLE:  Macbeth  contemptuously  puts  aside  the 
temptation  to  take  his  own  life  when  overwhelmed  by  disaster  ;  the  allusion  is  to  the  example 
of  Brutus,  Cassius,  Antony,  and  Cato,  familiar  to  Shakspere's  audience  from  the  pages  of 
Plutarch;  Shakspere  calls  suicide  "a  Roman's  part"  in  Cass. V-3-89-  The  fine  strength 
of  Macbeth  comes  out  so  clearly  in  these  words  that  they  go  far  to  redeem  him  in  his  last 
appearance  before  us.  *ff  3 1  WHILES,  'while,'  cp.  note  to  1.5-6.  LIVES:  in  M.E.  "life" 
often  corresponds  to  MN.E.  'person'  and  sometimes  to  'body,'  a  usage  still  retained  in 
such  MN.  idioms  as  'twenty  lives  were  lost'  and  in  'life-guard,'  i.e.  body-guard.     Shak- 

221 


ENTER   MACBETH 

MACBETH 

Why  should   I   play  the  Roman    foole,  and 

dye  viii.  i* 

On  mine  owne  sword?   Whiles  I  see  lives,  the 

gashes 
Do  better  upon  them. 

r  ENTER   MACDUFFE 

MACDUFFE 
Turne,  hell-hound,  turne! 

MACBETH 
Of  all  men  else  I  have  avoyded  thee: 
But  get  thee  backe;   my  soule  is  too  much 

charg'd 
With  blood  of  thine  already.  vm.  6 

*  These  figures  indicate  the  Globe  numeration. 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


spere  seems  to  have  used  the  word  in  this  concrete  sense  here.  Scholars  have  been  wont 
to  assume  for  Shakspere  a  peculiar  proneness  to  use  abstract  words  in  concrete  senses, 
but  the  N.E.  D.  shows  that  Shakspere's  English  is  not  unusual  in  this  respect,  being  in 
most  cases  the  reflection  of  the  idiom  of  his  time ;  most  of  the  abstract  significations 
of  MN.  E.  words  have  developed  out  of  earlier  concrete  significations.  A  good  illustra- 
tion of  this  is  "  gaze,"  v.  53  (see  note).  THE:  'its,' i.e.  the  gashes  made  by  his  sword.  SF32 
DO  BETTER,  'look  better':  the  stress  is  "  Do  better  upon  them."  HELL-HOUND:  cp.  note 
to  II.  3-  2,  and  '  Down,  hell-hound,  down'  Massinger's  Virgin  Martyr,  V.  2.  SF  33  OF  ALL 
MEN  ELSE,  'more  than  any  one  else,'  cp.  "he  of  all  the  rest  hath  never  mov'd  me  [i.e.  hath 
failed  to  move  me]"  Two  Gent.  1.2.27,  and  "To  see  my  friends  in  Padua,  but  of  all  .  . 
Hortensio"  Tam.ofShr.  1.2.2 ;  in  these  idioms  "of"  expresses  an  adverbial  notion  of 
eminence  equivalent  to  MN.E.  'more  than,'  'above.'  But  it  seems  strange  that  Macbeth 
should  say  that  he  has  avoided  any  one  after  his  desperate  resolution  in  v.  31  ;  he  is  evi- 
dently plunging  into  the  thick  of  the  fight,  not  running  away,  when  Macduff  calls  to  him 
to  turn:  one  would  therefore  expect  him  to  face  Macduff  with  the  words  "Of  all  men 
least  have  I  avoided  thee!"  True,  he  has  been  told  to  "beware  Macduff,"  but  he  would 
naturally  suppose  that  Macduff  had  already  done  the  evil  the  witches  warned  him  against, 
and  would  feel  that  Macduff,  of  all  others,  was  the  man  now  to  be  revenged  upon.  The 
compunction  which  comes  over  him  when  he  stands  face  to  face  with  the  father  of  the 
murdered  babes  seems  to  be  a  sudden  rush  of  feeling  rather  than  a  settled  conviction  of 
guilt  — "  But  get  thee  backe!" — and  can  hardly  be  the  reason  for  any  past  avoidance  of 
Macduff;  yet  as  the  text  stands  we  shall  have  to  consider  it  as  such.  SF  34  GET  THEE 
BACKE:    Macduff    has   evi- 


dently rushed  forward  from 
a  group  of  Malcolm's  men. 
CHARG'D,  'burdened,' cp.  V. 
I.  61.  *Tf  35  THINE,  'thy 
family,'  'thy  house,'  cp.  V. 
1. 61. 

*ff  37  TEARMES,  'names,' 
'epithets,'  cp.  'stand  under 
the  adoption  of  abhominable 
termes :  .  .  termes !  names! 
Amaimon  sounds  well,  Lu- 
cifer, well"  Merry  W.  II.  2. 
308.  GIVE  . .  OUT, 'describe,' 
N.E.  D.  62  a;  for  the  word 
order,  cp.  note  to  III. 6.48. 
TO  LOOSE  LABOUR  is  an 
EL. phrase  for'towaste  time,' 
cp.  "This  is  but  lost  labor, 
verba  fiunt  mortuo"  Cooper 
s.v.morior.  SF  38  INTRENCH- 
ANT,  'not  to  be  cut,'  cp.  note  to 


ACT  V 


SCENE  VII 


35-42 


MACDUFFE 

I  have  no  words:      vm.  6 
My   voice    is    in    my  sword,   thou   bloodier 

villaine 
Then  tearmes  can  s*ive  thee  out! 

FIGHT:    ALARUM 

MACBETH 

Thou  loosest  labour; 
As  easie  may'st  thou  the  intrenchant  ayre 
With  thy  keene  sword  impresse  as  make  me 

bleed: 
Let  fall  thy  blade  on  vulnerable  crests; 
I  beare  a  charmed  life,  which  must  not  yeeld 
To  one  of  woman  borne.  vm.  13 

III. 4. 27  ;  Shakspere'spassive 
use  of  the  adjective  is  somewhat  anomalous.      <ff39    IMPRESSE,  'make  a  mark  or  inci- 
sion in,'  cp.  "Albe  the  wound  were  nothing  deep  imprest"  Spenser's  Faerie  Queene, 
III.xii.33  (cited  inN.E.D.).      *lr4I    MUST  in  EL. E.  expresses  a  fatal  necessity  as  well  as 
a  moral  obligation;  this  shade  of  meaning  is  involved  in  Macduff's  "must"  in  IV. 3. 2 1 2. 

*ff42    DISPAIRE,  'cease  to  trust  in,'  a  meaning  common  in  EL.E.,  cp.  N.E.D.  3-      SF 43 
ANGELL,  i.e.  Satan.     STILL,  'always':  an  intimation  that  Macbeth  has  sold  his  soul  to 

222 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


ACT  V 


SCENE  VII 


42-63 


MACDUFFE 
Dispaire  thy  cbarme;      vm.  13 
And   let   the   angell   whom    thou   still   hast 

serv'd 
Tell  thee  Macduffe  was  from  his  mother's 

womb 
Untimely  ript. 

MACBETH 
Accursed  be  that  tongue  that  tels  mee  so, 
For  it  hath  cow'd  my  better  part  of  man ! 
And  be  these  jugling  fiends  no  more  beleev'd, 
That  palter  with  us  in  a  double  sence; 
That  keepe  the  word  of  promise  to  our  eare, 
And  breake  it  to  our  hope.    I  'le  not  fight 

with  thee. 

MACDUFFE 
Then  yeeld  thee,  coward, 
And  live  to  be  the  shew  and  gaze  o'  th'  time: 
Wee  '1  have  thee,  as  our  rarer  monsters  are, 
Painted  upon  a  pole,  and  under-writ, 
*  Heere  may  you  see  the  tyrant.' 

MACBETH 

I  will  not  yeeld 
To  kisse  the  ground  before  young  Malcolmes 

feet, 
And  to  be  baited  with  the  rabble's  curse. 
Though  Byrnanewoodbecometo  Dunsinane, 
And  thou  oppos'd,  being  of  no  woman  borne, 
Yet  I  will  try  the  last.    Before  my  body 
I  throw  my  warlike  shield.    Lay  on,  Macduffe, 
And  damn'd  be  him  that  first  cries  '  Hold, 

enough  ! '  vm.  34 

EXEUNT   FIGHTING:    ALARUMS 

ENTER   FIGHTING   AND   MACBETH    SLAINE 

223 


theevilone.  <lr45  UNTIMELY 
RIPT  and  so  not  "borne"  in 
the  literal  sense  of  the  word. 
*ff  47  MY  BETTER  PART  OF, 
'the  stronger  part  of  my/  cp. 
V.2.  II.  MAN,  'manhood/ 
1  manliness/ cp.  note  toV.2.5. 
f  49  To  PALTER  in  EL.E. 
is  to  "dodge  off  and  on"  as 
Comenius  glosses  it;  cp., 
also,  "Whereas  they  [i.e.  the 
devils]  could  not  tell  what 
should  fall  out,  they  framed 
the  oracle  in  such  sort  as 
it  was  doubtfull,  and  might 
be  taken  both  waies"  Gil- 
ford's Dialogue,  p.  48.  <ff5I 
I 'LE  NOT  FIGHT  WITH 
THEE:  the  stress  necessary 
to  make  the  verse  normal 
does  not  give  good  sense  in 
MN.E.  If  "Tie  "and  "fight" 
and  "thee"  are  stressed  we 
have  a  verse  like  III. 6. 14. 
Walker  would  read  "I  will" 
and  join  the  half  verse  to  the 
next.  <lr53  GAZE,  'object 
to  gaze  at';  like  "lives"  in 
v. 3Ir  this  use  of  the  word 
has  been  assumed  to  be  pe- 
culiar to  Shakspere,  but  in 
N.E.D.s.l).  I  it  is  shown  that 
'that  which  is  gazed  or  stared 
at'  is  the  original  meaning  of 
the  noun,  and  that  during  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth 
centuries  it  was  in  common 
use  with  this  sense.  SF  55 
PAINTED  UPON  A  POLE, 
i.e.  depicted  upon  a  banner 
hung  upon  a  pole  as  an  ad- 
vertisement of  the  show  with- 
in the  booth.  Such  exhibi- 
tions are  referred  to  in  Ado 
1. 1.267  and  in  Temp.  II.  2.  28 
ff.  "Paint "in  EL.E.  is  used 
of  advertising  wares  for  sale, 
cp.  "to  paint  or  counterfait 
and  set  out  things  for  the 
better  sale"  Baret's  Alvearie. 
*1F  56  The  verse  has  the  extra 
syllable  before  the  caesura. 
SF60    OPPOS'D,  i.e.  my  ad- 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

versary,  in  EL.  E.  a  more  or  less  technical  term,  cp.  u  Bear  't  that  th'  opposed  may  beware 
of  thee"  Ham.  1.3-67.  BEING,  monosyllabic,  as  usually  in  EL.E.  A  participial  idiom  often 
occurs  in  EL.  E.  where  MN.  E.  prefers  the  relative  clause,  cp.  "  heare  answere  of  the  shippes 
set  foorth  [i.e.  listen  to  the  report  from  the  ships  which  set  forth]  "  Sidney's  Arcadia,  p.  9. 
SF6I  TRY  THE  LAST:  the  words  are  usually  taken  to  mean  something  like  'run  the 
hazard  to  the  end' :  but  they  may  mean  'test  the  last  of  these  conditions,'  i.e.  Macduff's 
statement.  SF  62  WARLIKE  in  MN.  E.  sounds  weak  from  the  prominence  which  attaches 
to  '-like' ;  but  in  EL.E.  it  was  evidently  a  much  stronger  word,  as  Baret's  entries  show: 
u  warrelike,  like  a  warrier"  ;  "a  great  fighter,  warrelike,  contentious"  ;  "  valiantlie  warre- 
like."  "Warlike  shield"  here  has  the  meaning  'warrior's  shield,'  cp.  "my  warlike  word 
[i.e.  the  word  of  a  soldier]"  lHen.6  IV.  3-31,  and  "Thy  warlike  sword"  ibid.  IV. 6. 8. 
SF  63  Cp."To  cry  hold  is  the  word  of  yielding"  Carew's  Survey  of  Cornwall  (cited  by 
Toilet).  The  rhythm,  with  its  tense  monosyllabic  impulses,  its  continuous  flow,  and  its 
sharp  rise  at  the  verse  end,  "  '  x  '  ||  x  '  "  '  x  '  "  '  x  ',  carries  out  to  the  very  last  the  no- 
tion of  strength  that  Shakspere  has  associated  with  Macbeth.  It  is  interesting  to  com- 
pare the  rhythm  of  these  words  with  that  of  Hamlet's  "the  rest  is  silence." 

The  stage  direction  ENTER  [i.e.  're-enter']  FIGHTING  AND  MACBETH  SLAINE  is  usu- 
ally omitted  by  modern  editors.  But  just  such  action  is  frequently  indicated  as  a  part  of 
battle  scenes  in  EL.  drama, e.g.  "  Here  alarum,  they  are  beaten  back  by  the  English  with  great 
losse"  I  Hen. 6  1.2. 21,  FO.  I,  p.  97,  and  "Alarum.  Exeunt.  Here  alarum  againe,  and  Tal- 
bot pursueth  the  Dolphin  and  driveth  him.  Then  enter,"  etc.,  ibid.  1.4. 1 1 1,  FO.  I,  p.  100. 
It  is  quite  likely,  therefore,  that  the  FO.  represents  Shakspere's  conception  of  Macbeth's 
end.  The  long  and  bitter  fight  he  makes  for  life  when  all  has  turned  against  him  is  quite  in 
keeping  with  the  rest  of  the  play.  It  must  be  remembered,  too,  that  this  part  of  the  scene 
describes  a  battle,  not  a  duel  —  the  ALARUMS,  'onsets,'  'rushes,'  'attacks,'  cp.  N.E.D.  1 1, 
show  that  clearly ;  while  the  two  furious  protagonists  are  the  centre  of  interest,  they  are 
not  alone,  nor  when  they  go  out  do  they  leave  the  stage  empty.  It  is  better,  therefore,  to 
leave  such  a  usual  Elizabethan  stage  direction  stand,  and  not  to  try  to  botch  Shakspere's 
text  to  suit  modern  notions  of  dramatic  art. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  TO  SCENE  VIII 

The  scene  direction  'Another  part  of  the  field,'  which  has  been  prefixed  by  the  Cambridge 
editors  to  what  has  been  assumed  for  the  beginning  of  Scene  VII,  certainly  cannot  apply 
to  the  verses  which  follow.  For  Malcolm  enters  the  castle  in  V.  7.29  and  it  is  hardly 
likely  that  he  comes  forth  again ;  the  body  of  young  Seyward  has  been  "brought  off  the 
field"  in  v.  10  ;  and  Macduff  does  not  make  his  appearance  until  v.  20.  The  action,  there- 
fore, must  take  place  inside  the  castle  court  and  not  on  the  field.  Moreover,  the  long  stage 
direction,  with  its  detailed  entrances,  its  retreat  and  flourish,  and  its  drums  and  colours, 
can  hardly  be  other  than  a  stage  direction  for  the  opening  of  a  new  and  final  scene.  It  is 
likely,  therefore,  that  the  scene  division  which  modern  editors  insert  at  v.  30  really  belongs 
here,  and  that  the  Scena  Octava  has  been  accidentally  omitted  in  the  FO.  text,  probably 
to  make  the  columns  finish  at  the  bottom  of  the  page.  We  had  the  prelude  to  the  battle 
in  Scene  VI,  and  all  of  Scene  VII  up  to  this  point  has  depicted  the  struggle  itself,  with  its 
fights  and  alarums.  What  follows  is  not  a  part  of  the  battle,  but  the  nobles'  acclamation 
of  Malcolm  as  king,  and  naturally  belongs  by  itself.  The  "Scene  VIII "  which  modern 
editors  insert  after  v.  29  is  therefore  placed  here,  where  it  more  naturally  belongs. 

The  real  end  of  the  tragedy  comes  with  Macbeth's  death.  This  last  scene,  like  the 
verses  which  finish  Hamlet,  is  only  a  sort  of  dramatic  epilogue,  rounding  out  the  action 
and  bringing  it  to  a  conclusion. 

224 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


SCENE  VIII:  THE  COURT  OF  THE  CASTLE 

RETREAT  AND  FLOURISH:  ENTER  WITH  DRUMME  AND  COLOURS 

MALCOLM  SEYWARD  ROSSE  THANES  AND  SOLDIERS 


I  —  I  6 

RETREAT,  a  set  of  notes  as 
a  signal  for  giving  up  the 
pursuit,  cp.  "  Here  sound  re- 
treat and  cease  our  hot  pur- 
suit" lHen.6lI. 2. 3-  FLOUR- 
ISH, the  usual  prelude  to  a 
king's  entry.  <ff  I  MISSE 
seems  to  have  the  sense 
'long  for  in  absence'  as  in 
III. 4. 90.  «IF2  GOOFF  as  a 
euphemism  for  'die'  is  1 6th- 
and  17th-century  English,  see 
N.E.D.83d.  BY  THESE,  i.e. 
to  judge  from  these.  *1F6 
BUT  in  the  sense  of  'only' 
was  in  EL.  E.  often  strength- 
ened by  "only"  itself,  N.E.D. 
6  c.  <ff  7  PROWESSE  is  one 
of  the  words  which,  like 
"coward,"  lose  their  intervo- 
calic w  in  EL.  E.  and  become 
monosyllables,  cp.  "  Nor  do  I 
scorne,  thou  goddess,  for  to 
staine  My  prowes  with  thee" 
Greene's  Alphonsus,  v.  I749r 
and  "Whose  prowesse  alone 
hath  bene  the  onely  cause" 
ibid.  v.  754.  *ff 8  IN  .  . 
FOUGHT  seems  like  a  loca- 
tive qualifier  either  of  DY'DE 
or  of  CONFIRM'D.  UN- 
SHRINKING is  an  awkward 
adjective  if  STATION  means 
'position' as  in  III. I.I02;  but 
"station"  in  EL.  E.  also  means 
'bearing';  IN  may  mean 'by,' 
and  WHERE  may  be  the  rela- 
tively used  adverb.  The  fact 
that  there  is  no  comma  after 
"confirm'd"  in  FO.  I  points 
to  this  latter  interpretation  — 
'confirmed  by  the  fearless  manner  in  which  he  fought.'  *f  10  CAUSE  OF  SORROW, 
'ground  for  sorrowing':  "cause"  has  frequently  in  EL.  E.  this  sense  of 'ground,"  occasion,' 
'reason  for';  the  verbiage  is  not  'pleonastic,'  as  it  seemed  to  the  editors  of  CI.  Pr.,  nor 
is  there  any  occasion  for  the  emendation  'course'  for  "cause."      SF 12    BEFORE  is  used 

225 


MALCOLME 

WOULD  the  friends  we  misse 

were  safe  arriv'd.  vm.  35 

SEYWARD 

Some  must  go  off:   and  yet,  by 

these  I  see, 

So  great  a  day  as  this  is  cheapely  bought. 

MALCOLME 

Macduffe  is  missing,  and  your  noble  sonne. 

ROSSE 

Your  son,  my  lord,  has  paid  a  souldier's  debt; 

He  onely  liv'd  but  till  he  was  a  man; 

The   which    no    sooner  had   his    prowesse 

confirm'd 

In  the  unshrinking  station  where  he  fought, 

But  like  a  man  he  dy'de. 

SEYWARD 

Then  he  is  dead? 
ROSSE 

I,  and  brought  off  the  field:  your  cause  of 

sorrow 

Must  not  be  measur'd  by  his  worth,  for  then 

It  hath  no  end. 

SEYWARD 

Had  he  his  hurts  before? 

ROSSE 
I,  on  the  front. 

SEYWARD 

then,  God's  soldier  be  he! 

Had  I  as  many  sonnes  as  I  have  haires, 

I  would  not  wish  them  to  a  fairer  death : 

And  so  his  knell  is  knoll'd.  vm.  50 


Why 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


both  as  adverb  and  preposition  in  M.  E.  and  e.  N.  E.  for  '  in  the  front  part/  cp.  "  The  life  of 
Mahomet  is  at  large  described  by  divers  authors,  but  I  find  it  nowhere  so  fully  as  before 
the  Alcaron"  Purchas's  Pilgrimage  V.iii.243-  SF  13  GOD'S  SOLDIER  BE  HE!  a  euphem- 
ism for  Met  him  be  God's  soldier,'  probably  a  stereotyped  phrase,  as  is  "he  is  made  God's 
saint"  in  Cooper.  SF  15  WISH  THEM  TO  A  FAIRER  DEATH  is  not 'wish  a  fairer  death 
forthem,'asit  is  usually  trans- 

ACT  V  SCENE  VIII 


lated,  but  WISH  is  used  in  the 
sense  of  'commend,'  cp.  "I 
will  wish  him  to  her  father" 
Tam.ofShr.  1. 1. 1 1 3. 


*ff  18  PARTED  is  here  used 
in  its  EL.  sense  of  'departed,' 
a  euphemism  still  current  in 
the  phrase  'the  dear  departed'; 
cp.  also  "a'  parted  .  .  at  the 
turning  o'  th'  tyde"  Hen. 5  II. 
3.12.  WELL,'nobly.'  SCORE, 
'reckoning,' 'scot' :  the  asso- 
ciation between  settling  one's 
account  at  an  inn  and  death 
occurs  frequently  in  English 
speech ;  a  kindred  figure  is 
that  embodied  in  the  Western 
phrase,  'to  pass  in  one's 
checks.'  Young  Seyward's 
euthanasia  and  his  father's 
stoical  reception  of  the  news 
are  told  in  Holinshed.  SF2I 
TIME,  'the  world,'  cp.  note  to 
1.5-64.  SF  22  THY  KING- 
DOMES  PEARLE,  'flower  of 
the  nobility,'  EL.E.  "pearle" 
being  a  collective  plural  form; 
cp.  "  Decking  with  liquid 
pearle  the  bladed  grasse" 
Mids.  I.  I.  211,  and  "pearle 
and  gold"  Tam.ofShr.  V.I. 77, 


16-25 

MALCOLME 
Hee  fs  worth  more  sorrow,       vm.  50 
And  that  I  ?le  spend  for  him. 

SEYWARD 

He's  worth  no  more: 
They  say  he  parted  well,  and  paid  his  score: 
And   so,   God  be  with   him!     Here    comes 
newer  comfort. 

ENTER   MACDUFFE  WITH    MACBETH'S   HEAD 

MACDUFFE 
Haile,  king!  for  so  thou  art:  behold,  where 

stands 
Th'  usurper's  cursed  head:  the  time  is  free: 
I  see  thee  compastwith  thy  kingdomes  pearle, 
That  speake  my  salutation  in  their  minds, 
Whose  voyces  I  desire  alowd  with  mine: 
Haile,  King  of  Scotland! 

ALL 
Haile,  King  of  Scotland!      vm.  59 

FLOURISH 


so  Rich.3  IV. 4. 322;  there  is 
thus  no  occasion  for  emending  the  word  to  'peares'  (which,  by  the  way,  does  not  spell 
'  peers 'in  EL.  E.),  nor  to 'pearls,' nor  to  'pale.'  But  it  maybe  that  Macduff  is  thinking 
of  the  word  in  its  heraldic  sense,  cp.  "pearl,  in  heraldry;  the  silver  or  white  colour  in  the 
coats  of  barons  and  other  noblemen"  Kersey.  SF  24  WHOSE  is  the  EL.  connective  rela- 
tive corresponding  to  MN.E.  'but  their.'  VOYCE  in  EL.E.  is  the  regular  word  for 'assent,' 
and  frequently  means  'vote,'  'suffrage';  cp.  "I  meane  your  voice  for  crowning  of  the 
king"  Rich.3  III. 4. 29. 

*ff26  EXPENCE  in  the  sense  of  'expenditure'  is  now  obsolete,  N.E. D.  lb,  but  was  com- 
mon in  the  1 6th  and  1 7th  centuries,  so  that  emendations  like  'expanse,'  'excess,'  etc.,  are 
idle.  SPEND  ..  EXPENCE:  cp.  note  to  V.  3. 44.  *ff  27  RECKON  WITH, 'render  account 
for.'  LOVES,  the  usual  EL.  abstract  plural.  *ff  29  EARLES:  the  historical  note  about 
the-  appointment  of  the  earls  is  from  Holinshed:  "These  were  the  first  earles  that  have 
beene  heard  of  amongst  the  Scotishmen"ed.  Boswell-Stone,  p.  45-    *ff  30  MORE, 'further,' 

226 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 


WOULD:  cp.  notes  to  1.7.34 
in  one  .  .  howre  To  plant  and 


cp.  note  to  III. 4. 137.    TO  DO:  cp.  note  to  V. 7. 28.      *IF  3 1 
and  V.2.4.     PLANTED  in  EL.E.  means  'established/  cp. 

orewhelmecustome"  Wint.  T.I  V.I.  8,  and  1.4.28  of  this  play.    NEWLY, 'anew,' cp.  "I  will 

have  that  subject  newly  writ 

ACT  V  SCENE  VIII 


ore"  L.  L.  L.  1.2.  120,  and 
"newly,  .  .  in  a  new  sort  or 
maner:  contrare  to  the  old 
fashion,  nove"  Baret's  Al- 
vearie.  WITH, 'in accordance 
with.'  SF32  AS  in  EL.E. and 
still  in  colloquial  MN.E.  means 
'to  wit.'  *ff  34  PRODUCING 
FORTH,  'bringing  forth  into 
the  light,'  a  meaning  still  cur- 
rent in  '  produce  the  prisoner.' 
MINISTERS, 'agents.'  SF  36 
SELFE  is  usedas  an  adjective, 
cp.thenoteto  III.4. 142.  <ff  37 
OFF  in  this  idiom  has  its  EL. 
sense  of  'away,'  cp.  "it  takes 
one  off  from  business"  Phr. 
Gen.,  and  "your  command  is 
takenoff"Oth.V.2.33I.  The 
idiom  is  similar  to  that  of  III. 
1. 1 05  and  the  notion  parallels 
that  of  1.7.20.  WHAT  NEED- 
FULL  ELSE,  'what  is  needful 
besides,'  a  usage  common  in 
e.N.E.,  cp.  "At  what  time 
Sylla  was  made  lord  of  all 
he  would  have  had  Cassar 
put  away  his  wife  Cornelia" 
North's  Plutarch,  p.  758.  SF  38 
CALLS  UPON  US,  'demands 
our  attention,'  cp.  note  to 
III.  1.37.  THE  GRACE  OF 
G  R AC  E, '  the  favour  of  divine 
guidance':  such  plays  on 
word  meanings  are  com- 
mon in  Shakspere's  time,  as 
Theobald  pointed  out :  "  Doe 
curse  the  grace  that  with  such  grace  hath  blest  them"  Two.  Gent.  III.  I.  146  ;  "The  greatest 
grace  lending  grace"  All's  W.  II.  1. 163;  "spight  of  spight"  3Hen.6  II.  3. 5;  "for  the  love  of 
love"  Ant.&Cl.  1. 1.44.  SF40  ONE  and  SCONE  rhyme  in  EL.E.,  see  note  to  IV.  1.7.  SF4I 
According  to  Holinshed,  ed.  Boswell-Stone,  p.  44,  Malcolm  "was  crowned  at  Scone  the 
25th  day  of  Aprill  in  the  yeere  of  our  Lord  1057." 


26-41 


MALCOLME  [vm.  60 

We  shall  not  spend  a  large  expence  of  time 
Before  we  reckon  with  your  severall  loves, 
And  make  us  even  with  you.   My  thanes  and 

kinsmen, 
Henceforth    be    earles,  the   first   that    ever 

Scotland 
In  such  an  honor  nam'd.  What  Ts  more  to  do, 
Which  would  be  planted  newly  with  the  time, 
As  calling  home  our  exil'd  friends  abroad 
That  fled  the  snares  of  watchfull  tyranny; 
Producing  forth  the  cruell  ministers 
Of   this    dead    butcher    and    his    fiend-like 

queene, 
Who,  as  't  is  thought,  by  selfe  and  violent 

hands 
Tooke  off  her  life;   this,  and  what  needfull 

else 
That  calls  upon  us,  by  the  grace  of  grace, 
We  will  perf orme  in  measure,  time  and  place : 
So,  thankes  to  all  at  once  and  to  each  one, 
Whom  we  invite  to  see  us  crown'd  at  Scone. 

FLOURISH  [VIH-  75 

EXEUNT  OMNES 


Act  V  is,  as  it  were,  a  grand  finale  to  this  Faust  symphony,  and  the  aesthetic  analogy  is 
more  than  mere  accident.  For  Macbeth  is  a  group  of  themes  wrought  together  into  an 
esthetic  unity,  and  this  closing  act  reviews  them  all,  like  the  closing  movement  of  a  great 
musical  symphony.    The  play  opened  with  a  brief  introductory  motive  of  supernatural  in- 

227 


THE    TRAGEDIE    OF    MACBETH 

terests,  which  reappears  from  time  to  time  during  its  course.  Act  I  was  what  might  be 
called  the  soldier  theme,  Macbeth  triumphant;  Act  II  had  for  its  theme  Lady  Macbeth 
and  the  murder  of  Duncan;  Act  III  gave  us  the  Banquo  theme  with  the  Duncan  and 
Lady  Macbeth  interests  woven  into  it,  all  three  uniting  in  the  punishment  of  Macbeth,  the 
internal  Nemesis  of  the  tragedy;  Act  IV  presents  the  Macduff- Malcolm  theme.  Act  V 
begins  in  Scene  I  with  the  Lady  Macbeth  theme  —  recalling,  too,  the  Duncan  and  Banquo 
themes  that  have  preceded;  Scene  II  develops  the  Macduff- Malcolm  theme;  Scene  III 
recurs  to  the  soldier  theme — Macbeth  in  action;  Scene  IV  carries  further  the  Macduff- 
Malcolm  theme;  Scene  V  returns  to  the  horrors  of  Act  III,  weaves  in  the  Lady  Macbeth 
interest,  and  suggests  again  the  Macbeth  in  action  of  Act  I  more  sharply  and  strongly; 
Scenes  VI  and  VII  bring  them  all  into  a  swirling  finale,  with  the  soldier  theme  struck  hard 
and  tense  in  "Lay  on,  Macduffe,  and  damn'd  be  him  that  first  cries  'Hold,  enough!'" 
while  Scene  VIII  adds  the  finishing  cadence  to  the  whole,  tHe  strong  C  major  of  Macduff's 
"the  time  is  free"  and  Scotland  herself  again. 

There  is  no  play  of  Shakspere  that  has  such  a  marvellous  aesthetic  unity  as  this  of  the 
fury-driven  Macbeth.  There  is  an  incompleteness  about  Hamlet,  the  long  wailing  minor 
of  "the  rest  is  silence."  There  is  no  redemption  for  his  failure:  one  closes  the  book, 
saddened  by  a  yearning  pathos  and  wondering  if,  after  all,  there  is  another  life  for  the 
lessons  this  life  should  learn.  But  it  is  not  so  with  Macbeth.  His  is,  as  it  were,  a  tri- 
umphant failure :  tricked  and  cheated  by  the  powers  of  evil,  he  would  be  on  his  guard 
against  them  if  he  were  given  another  chance.  In  the  last  action  he  is  himself  again  and 
dies  bravely  fighting.  He  has  sold  his  soul,  but  with  his  mighty  human  strength  he  wins 
back  his  manliness.  And  damned  though  he  be, —  damned  with  the  deep  desert  of  sin, — 
he  pays  the  price  like  a  man. 


228 


INDEX    TO   THE    NOTES 
ON    MACBETH 


INDEX    TO   THE    NOTES    ON    MACBETH 


The  first  number  refers  to  the  page,  the  second  to  the  note;  where  but  one 
reference  is  given  it  is  the  page  number  that  is  indicated. 


a,  sound  of,  in  EL.  E.,  134.2, 
1 48.30  ;  before  /  and  conso- 
nant, 86.12 

Abound,  moral  connotation 
of,  176.95 

About,  by  a  circuitous  way, 
1 1 3-1 1 

Absolute,  positive,  142.40; 
downright,  172.38 

Abstract  nouns :  plural  of 
jealousies,  1 7 1 .29  ;  loves, 
101.122,226.27;  revenges, 
198.3;  seedes,  96.70 

Abstract  words  concrete  in 
EL.E.,  221.31 

Abuse,  deceive,  60.50 

Accompt,  account,  193-42 

Accus'd,  revealed  in  true 
character,  177.107 

Accustom'd,  customary, 
192.31 

Acheron,  Acherusia,  135.15 

Act,  action,  activity,  85-5  ; 
execute,  1 3 1. 1 40,  176.97 

Act  in  safetie,  mature  plans 
in  security,  94-54 

Actuall  performances,  ac- 
tive functions,  mechanical 
acts,  191. 13 

Addition, title,  23. 106;  mark 
of  distinction,  99.100 

Addrest  to  sleepe,  66.25 

Adhere,  suit,  agree,  be  fit- 
ting, 50.52 

Adjectives  in  -ed  corre- 
sponding to  MN.E.  parti- 
ciples, 75.63  ;  to  adjec- 
tives in  -able,  53.73 ;  ab- 
solute use  of  superlative 
of,  76.72 

Admir'd,  amazing,  aston- 
ishing, I27.IIO 

Advantage,  opportunity, 
chance,  2 1 0.1 1 


Adverbs  without  suffix,  41. 
72,47.17,84.143;  from  ad- 
jectives ending  in  -ly,  68.46, 
188.235  ;  position  of,  3 1.20, 
172.46 

Advise  .  .  to,  recommend 
course  of  action,  143-44 

Afeard,  frightened,  22.96, 
49-39 

Affear'd  (used  of  a  title), 
confirmed,  172.34 

Affect  ion,  disposition,  175. 77 

Agitation,  activity,  1 9 1. 1 2 

ai,  unstressed  in  words  of 
French  origin,  4.4 

A larum,  onset,  198.4, 5  ;  din 
of  battle,  218.10 

Alexandrine.  See  Versifica- 
tion, six-wave  series 

All,  any,  105. 1 1,  196.84; 
everything,  78.99,  162.12; 
as  a  whole,  203.1 

All-haile,  to  salute,  to  greet, 
35.7 

All  thing,  quite,  altogether, 
91.13 

All  to  all,  124.92 

Almost  at  oddes,on  the  point 
of  quarrelling,  129.127 

Almost  it  selfe,  of  its  own 
accord,  221.27 

Alwayes  thought,  1 03.132 

Amaz'd,  dazed,  bewildered, 
79.114,   196.86 

Amazedly,  in  consterna- 
tion, 158.126 

Amend,  recover,  180.145 

Amisse,  at  a  loss,  79.102 

Am  to,  am  going  to,  219-4 ; 
have  to,  must,  60.43 

Anacolutha,  punctuation  of, 
48.28 

And,  if,    140.19;  post-posi- 

.  tive,  163-22 

231 


Angell,  applied  to  Satan, 
222.43 

Angerly,  1 34. 1 

Annoyance,  injury,  196.84 

Anon,  coming,  72.24;  in  a 
moment,  1 1 6. 1 1 

/7noi/r?fec?,consecrated,76.73 

Anticipate,  prevent,  fore- 
stall, 159-144 

Antidote,  207.43 

Antique,  a  dance,  158.130 

dnb  kolvov.  See  Zeugmatic 
constructions 

Apostrophes  in  Folio  :  ha's, 
20.79 

Appall,  make  pale,  121.60 

Appeare,  become  visible, 
217.47 

Apply,  attend  assiduously, 
108.30 

Approve,  prove,  show,  42.4 

Arbitrate,  decide,  deter- 
mine, 211.20 

Are,  with  verbs  of  motion, 
20.80 ;  rhymes  with  care, 
154.91 

Arm' d,  protected  by  armor, 
I26.IOI,  152.68 

Aroynt,  begone,  14.6 

Art,  professional  skill, 
179.143 

Article,  definite, correspond- 
ing to  a  MN.E.  possessive 
pronoun,  6.6,  26.137,  35- 
13,51-58,60.48,  1 12.4,  127. 
109,  141.25,  172.34,  39; 
demonstrative  force  of, 
102.130 ;  enclitic,  14.7; 
loss  of  vowel  of,  4.5  ;  mark- 
ing formality,  1 15-2  ;  omit- 
ted before  the  superlative, 
31-17,  1 14.21 

Article,  indefinite,  before  ab- 
stract nouns,  53-68 


INDEX    TO    THE    NOTES   ON    MACBETH 


Article,  instrumental  case 

of,  92.26 
Artificially  cunning,  136.27 
As,  as  being,  because  it  is, 

43-12,  47.13;  as  if,  31. II, 

66.28,  213.13;   in  propor- 
tion as,  90.7  ;  such  as,  176. 

92;  to  wit,  227.32;  when, 

53.78  ;   as  who  should  say, 

1 43-42  ;  as  you  are,  that  you 

are,  134.2 
Ask'd  for,  inquired  about, 

missed,  49-30 
Assay,  effort,  attempt,  179. 

143 
Assisted,  supported,  12.52 
Astrology,  86.8 
At,  'apud/  in  the  presence 

of,  II5.I 
At  first  and  last,  once  for 

all,  1 1 5. 1 
At  more  time,  with  better 

opportunity,  29-153 
At  once,  without  more  ado, 

I28.II8 
At  quiet,  72.21 
./?ff  e/r?pf,attack,64. 1 1,142.39 
Attend,  await,  104.3  ;  wait 

for,  expect,  21 1. 1 5 
Augur e  hole,  82.128 
Augur es,  divination, 

129-124 
Authorized,  vouched  for  as 

true,  121.66 
Auxiliary  verbs.    See  under 

separate  entries 
Avouch,  warrant,  stand 

sponsor  for,  I0I.I20 
Aweary  of  the  sun,  217.49 
Ayme,  mark,  84.149 
Ayre,  climate,  42.1 
Ayre-drawne,  pictured  in 

air,  121.62 

'Baby,  doll,  127.106 
'Bad,  EL.  adverb,  1 1 1.55 
'Balles,  orbs,  emblem  of 

sovereignty,  1 57.121 
'Banke  and  schoole,  46.6 
'Barefaced,  open,  avowed, 

I0I.II9 
'Battell,  division  of  troops, 

218.4 


Batter' d  at,  laid  siege  to, 

183.178 
'Be,  3d  pers.plu.  indie,  1 65-48 
Bear-baiting,  126.100,  219.2 
Beare,  exalt,  maintain, 

136.30 
Beares,  possesses,  23-110 
'Beast,  not  man,  connoting 

stupidity  and  cowardice  as 

well  as  vulgarity,  50.47 
'Beest,  monosyllabic,  219-15 
'Before,  in  the  front  part  of, 

226.12 
Behold,  transitive  uses  of, 

204.20 
'Being,  monosyllabic,  223.60 
'Beldams,  hags,  134.2 
<Bell-man,  63-3 
'Beside  us,  so  as  to  miss  us, 

221.29 
'Bestowe,  lodge,  92.30, 

140.24 
Bestride,  defend,  169-4 
Bible,  reference  to,  76.74, 

83-136,  I77.III 

©id,  ask,  43.13,  59.31 
'Bidding,  command,  130.129 
'Bill,  catalogue,  99.100 
Birnam  Wood,  154.93 
'Birthdome,  land  of  our 

birth,  1 69.4 
'Black,  sinister,  1 1 1.53, 

149-43,  150.48 
'Bladed,  in  the  green  ear, 

150.55 
blames,  charges,  accusa- 
tions, 178.124 
'Blaspheme,  slander,  speak 

evil  of,  148.26,  177.108 
'Blessings,  evidences  of 
divine  favour,  1 8 1. 1 58 
Blind-worms,  1 47. 1 6 
'Blood-bolter7  d,  157.123 
'Bloody,  murderous,  blood- 
guilty,  92.30,  I0I.II6,  173. 
57 
'Blow,  blow  upon,  15.14; 

proclaim,  48.24 
'Boadments,  predictions, 

154.96 
'Bond,  deed,  1 10.49  j  pledge, 

153-84 
'Borne,  managed,  138.3 

232 


Borne  in  hand,  charged  or 

deceived,  98.81 
'Bosome,  intimate,  13-64 
'Bosomes,  hearts,  168.2 
'Botches,  patches,  103-134 
'Both,  either  of  two,  72.13 
<Both  the  worlds,  1 06. 1 6 
'Bought,  obtained,  49-32 
'Bound  in  to,  confined  with, 

117.24 
Bounty,  generosity,   176.93 
'Bove,  superior  to,  136.30 
'Braine- sickly,  insanely, 

68.46 
'Breake,  disclose,  50.48 
'Breath,    flattery,     205-27 ; 
life,  spirit,  155-99;  respite, 
62.61  ;   give  them   breath, 
make  them  speak,  218.9 
'Breech' d  with  gore,  80.122 
'Breed,  breeding,  177.108 
'Brief ely,  without  delay, 

83-139 
'Brinded,  brindled,  1 45. 1 
<Broad,  free,  117.23 
'Broad  words,  frank  speech, 

140.21 
'Broke,  broken  up,  127.109 
'Brought  forth,  discovered, 

brought  to  light,  129.125 
'Brows,  face,  appearance, 

170.23 
'Bruited,  announced,  pro- 
claimed, 220.22 
'Buckle  in,  limit,  enclose, 

200.15 
'Businesse,    care,   attention, 
44.16;  commotion,  tumult, 
77.86,  135.22;  task  or  pur- 
pose, 60.48  ;  topic  or  mat- 
ter, 58.23 
'But,  only,  46.4,  46.6,  52.60 ; 
strengthened  by  only,  225. 
6 ;     than,     9-29  J      unless, 
without  being,  93-48,  49  J 
until,  163-23 
<Byrnan,  155-98 
'By  the  way,  incidentally, 

131. 130 
By  your  leave,  permit  me, 
45.31 

Cabin,  prison  cell,  117.24 


INDEX    TO   THE    NOTES    ON    MACBETH 


Call  upon,  make  demand 
upon,  103-140,  227.38 

Capitaine,  trisyllabic, 
10.33 

Care,  loving  regard,  34.57 

Carelesse,  uncared  for, 
31. II 

Carry,  to  take  to  a  place, 

68.49 
Cases,  confusion  of, 

102.123,  1 16.14,  120.42 
Cast,  to  throw  in  wrestling, 

73.47  ;  to  diagnose,  208.51 
Caf  a/ojg'ue,muster-roll,  99-92 
Catch,  take,  36.19 
Cause,     because,      140.21  ; 

business,  92.34;  matter  of 

dispute,  interest,  131  136; 

disease,  198.4,5,  200.15 
Cause  of,  ground  for,  225.10 
Caution,  precaution,  143-44 
Celebrate,  perform  with 

ritual,  60.51 
Cenny,  senna,  208.55 
Censure,  judgement,  21 1. 1 4 
Certaine,   infallible,    87.14; 

for   certaine,    I    am    sure, 

200.14 
Cesterne,  a  pool,  174.63 
Chair,  throne,  204.21 
Challenge,  find  fault  with, 

120.42 
Chambers,  private  rooms  or 

residence  of  a  king,  209-2 
Chance,  misfortune,  calam- 
ity, 78.96 
Charge,  commission,  170.20 
Charg'd,  burdened,  195-61, 

222.34 
Chastise,  to  put  down  re- 
bellion, 37.28 
Chawdron,  entrails,  148.33 
Cheere,  toast  of  welcome, 

119-33-     See  Chair 
Chiastic  construction, 

76.69 
Chief  est,  greatest,  best, 

most  important,  136.33 
Children,  three  syllables, 

183-177 
Choake,  obstruct,  6.9 
Choppie,  fissured  with 

wrinkles,  18.44 


Chops,  jaws,  8.22 
Chuck,  epithet  of  endear- 
ment, 1 10.45 
Clatter,  noise  of  voices, 

220.21 
Clearenesse,  freedom  from 

blame,  103-133 
Cleere,  faultless,  47.18; 

frankly,  41.72 
Cling,  shrivel  up,  216.39 
Clipt,  called,  99-94 
Clogge,  hamper,  embar- 
rass, 143-43 
Close,  secret,  135-7 
Close,  to  come  together, 

105-14 
Clos'd,  enclosed,  99-99 
Closset,  writing-desk  or 

cabinet,  1 90.6 
Clowdy,  sullen,  143-41 
Cloyster'd,  cloister-haunt- 
ing, 109-41 
Cold,  dispiriting,  62.61 
Colmekill,  Iona,  88.33 
Combin'd,  in  league  with, 

23.1 1 1 
Combustion,  political  con- 
fusion, tumult,  75.63 
Come  in  time,  72.8 
Come  on,  107.26 
Coming  on  of  time,  35-9 
Comfort,  aid,  support,  9-27 
Commend,  offer,  present, 

47.11  ;  commit,  93-39 
Common,  public,  102.125 
Composition,  terms  of  sur- 
render, 13-59 
Compt,  account,  44.26 
Compunctious,  39.46 
Confident,  overbold,  210.8 
Confinelesse,  limitless, 

173.55 
Confound,  ruin,  bring  to 
naught,  150.54,  176.99 
Confusion,  ruin,  76. 71, 136.29 
Conjure,  adjure,  150.50 
Connective  relative,  37.37, 

IOI.I22,  138.2 
Consent,  58.25 
Consequence,  sequel, 

24.126,  46.3,  203.5 
Considered  of,  thought  care- 
fully over,  97.76 

233 


Consfrucf  i*on,interpretation, 

31.12 
Construction  according  to 

sense,  173-54 
Contented,  agreed,  83.140 
Continent,  restraining, 

174.64 
Continued,  continuous, 

218.10 
Contractions.      See  Stress, 

lack  of 
Convert  to,  change  its  na- 
ture and  become,  187.229 
Convey,  carry  on  (with  no- 
tion of  secrecy),  174.71 
Convince,  overpower,  52.64, 

179-142 
Cool,  to  chill,  212.10 
Coppie,  holding  by  copy, 

108.38 
Corner  of  the  moone,  horn 

of  the  moon,  135-23 
Corporall,  material,  21.81 
Corporall  agents,  53-80 
Cosin,  kinsman,  209-1 
To  be  counsail'd,  to  take 

advice,  59-29 
Countenance,  77.85 
Counterfeit,  portrait,  77.81 
Couplet  at  close  of  scene, 

13-64 
Course,  technical  term  in 

bear-baiting,  219.2 
Courst,  chased,  pursued, 

44.21 
Court,  immediate  surround- 
ings   of   the    king,    104. 1  ; 

V  th'  court,  at  the  palace, 

Ii3.II 
Cracke,  loud  noise,  blare  of 

trumpet,  157. 1 17 
Cracks,  shots,  10.37 
Craving,  demanding,  92.34 
Craw,  caw,  214.19 
Crew,  company  of  people, 

179-141 
Crib,  hovel,  117.24 
Crost,  thwarted,  opposed, 

98.81 
Crow,  rook,  1 1 1. 5 1 
Cruell,  wild,  fierce,  savage, 

78.93 
Cry,  report,  rumour,  212.2  ; 


INDEX    TO    THE    NOTES    ON    MACBETH 


scream,    clamour,    outcry, 

212.6 
Cure,  assuage,  186.215; 

treat  medicinally,  207.39 
Curres,  watch-dogs  and 

sheep-dogs,  99-93 
Of  custome,  habitual,  126.97 

(Damme,  mother,  187.218 

(Damn,  to  doom,  7.14 

(Damned,  damning  or  dam- 
nable, 139-10,  193.38 

(Dare,  subjunctive,  126.99, 
171.33 

Date  of  Macbeth,  71.6,  72. 
12,  94.56,  180.146 

Dative,  ethical,  55-5,  1 18.32, 
143.41,  203-5 

Davenant,  34,  103.140,  137, 
149.43 

(Day,  battle,  221.27 

(Deadly,  death-dealing, 
186.215 

(Deddmdn,  182.170 

(Deaftly, ea  shortened  in  MN. 
E.,  152.68 

'Death,  bloodshed,  murder, 
75.61  ;  in  imprecations, 
204.16 

(Deed,  action,  67.33,  132. 
143;  execution  (of  pur- 
pose), I59-I46;  thing  to 
be  done,  70.73 

(Deepe,  weighty,  important, 
24.126,  44.17;  wide  ap- 
plication of,  in  EL.  E.,  30.7 

(Deere,  used  of  what  stands 
in  intimate  relation  to  a 
person's  interest  or  affec- 
tion, 198.3 

(Defect,  faultiness,  57.18 

Defiance,  Romantic  forms 
of,  126.104 

(Degrees,  rank,  order  of  pre- 
cedence, 1 1 5. 1 

(Delicate,  pleasant,  delight- 
ful,,43-10 

(Delinquent,  criminal,  139-12 

(Deliver,  tell,  35-12;   de- 
scribe, 1 12.2 

Demonology,  academic, 
132,    151.63;    Bacon's    re- 
lation to,  54  ;  charms,  66.29, 


146.5,  6,  147.15,  22,  148. 
30,  152.66;  devils  hover  in 
the  air,  4. 1 1  ;  devil,  names 
of,  72.1 1  ;  work,  in  storms, 
75.59;  hedge-pig,  145-2; 
magic  mirror,  1 57. 1 19; 
numberthree,  16.33,  145.2; 
popular,  1 1 1.56;  spirits  of 
evil,  39-50;  witches:  their 
dame,  134.2;  their  dances, 
1 58. 1 30;  familiars  of 
witches,  4.8  ;  fly  in  the  air, 
136.33;  habits  of,  1 4. 1, 
15-8,  16.23,  18.46,  136.33; 
their  '  little  Martins,'  1 36. 
34  ;  names  of  these  spirits, 
145-3;  powers  of,  14.2, 
15-11,16.24,24.123,150.46 
(Demy-wolves,  99-93 
(Denies  his  person,  refuses 

his  presence,  130.128 
(Deny,  refuse,  206.28 
(Destroy,  used  of  persons, 

104.6 
(Devil,  monosyllabic  in  EL. 

E.,  23-107,  173-56 
(Devotion,  earnest  applica- 
tion, 176.94 
(Dignity,  worth,  value,  1 95.63 
(Directly,  without  more  ado, 

196.78 
Disaster,  bad  luck,  I00.II2 
Discharge,  unburden,  1 96.8 1 
Discomfort,  undoing,  9.28, 

164.29 
Discovery,  reconnaissance, 

209.6 
Disjoynt,  fall  to  pieces, 

106.16 
Dismall,  disastrous,  12.53, 

135.21,  213.12 
Dispaire,  cease  to  trust  in, 

222.42 
Dispatch,  management, 

41.69 
Displac'd,  banished,  127.109 
Disposition,  character, 

128. 1 13 
Dispute,  oppose,  strive 

against,  187.220 
Dis-seate,  unseat,  204.21 
Distance,  discord,  enmity, 
I0I.II6 

234 


Distemper' 'd,  a  medical 

term,  200.15 
Distinguish, single  out, 99. 96 
Distracted,  mad,  crazed, 

insane,  79.110 
Divell,  EL.  form  of  devil, 

173.56 
Division,  a  musical  term, 

176.96 
Do,  behave,  221.26;  work 

mischief,  15.10 
Do  better,  look  better,  222.32 
Do  bravely,  act  in  a  highly 

creditable  way,  221.26 
Doffe  (do  off),  put  away, 

184.188 
Dollar,  13-62 
-dom,  169.4 

Domestique,  at  home,  107.25 
Done,  over,  3-3,  46.1 
(Double,  doubly,  153-83 
Double  meaning  implied : 

cast,73A7 ;  chambers,  209. 

2;    come    down,     1 14-16; 

consent,  58.25 ;  cries,    36. 

22  ;    dress,  49-36 ;   duties, 

31-24;    encounter,    1 1 6.9; 

foule,  17.38;  frailties,  83. 

132;   free,  29-155;  grace, 

227.38 ;  guilt,  69.57  ;  honor, 

58.26 ;  lye,  73.44 ;  morrow, 

41.63;  open,  173.52;  owe, 

31.22;      quenched,     63-2; 

safe,   32.25;    step,   33-48; 

time,   41-64,    65;     unnatu- 
ral, 86.10;   vault,  78.101; 

well,  88.37 

Double  negative,20.74,32.30 
Double  question,  185.195 
Doubt,  fear,  166.67,  217.43  ; 

ground  of  distrust,  171.25 
Doubtfull,  apprehensive, 

104.7 
Downfall,  down-fallen,  1 69.4 
Drenched,  drowned,  53.68 
Dress,  to  address  one's 

self  to,  49.36 
Drops,  tears,  32.35 
Dudgeon,  haft  of  dagger, 

60.46 
Dull,  lose  will  power,  2 1 6.42 
Duncan,  his  relationship  to 

Macbeth,  8.24 


INDEX    TO   THE    NOTES    ON    MACBETH 


tDunnest,  murkiest,  40.52 
Dunsinane,  154.93 
(Dusty,  worthless,  empty, 
214.23 

ea  represents  a  long,  close 
e  in  EL.  E.,  4.6, 34.49,  88.37, 
119-36,  136.31,  152.64,  186. 

209,  204.10 

Each,  every,  202.29 ;  each 
wag,  in  every  direction, 
163.22 

Earnest,  pledge,  26.132 

Easie,  easily,  84.143 

Eate,  form  of  past  tense : 
feed  upon,  gnaw  at,  87.18 

Eat  on,  eat  of,  21.84 

-ed,  full  of,  148.24;  charac- 
terized by,  53-73;  equiva- 
lent to  particip.  adj.  in  -ing, 
43-5  ;  with  causative  force, 
127. no 

Effect,  accomplishment, 
39.48 

Effects  of,  actions  asso- 
ciated with,  1 9 1. 1 1 

Egge,  term  of  opprobrium, 
167.83 

Eight,  e.N.  E.  form  of  eighth, 
157. 119 

Either,  a  monosyllable, 
219-18 

Elision,  24.1 19,45.30, 152.71 

Emendations:  accust,  177. 
107;  advantage  to  be  given, 

210.  II;  and  wisedome, 
I69-I5;  at  first  and  last, 
1 1 5- 1  ;  beast,  50.50 ;  cause, 
200.15,  225.10 ;  cheere 
and  dis-eate,  204.21  ; 
cold  stone,  146.6;  consent, 
58.25;  death,  67.38;  dis- 
cerne,  1 69. 1 5  ;  expence,  226. 
26;  forc'd,  212.5;  gentle, 
123-76 ;  greene  one  red,  69. 
63  ;  haire,  1 56. 1 13  ;  inhabit 
then,  127.105;  /  say,  2 1 6. 
31  ;  lookes,  107.27;  maine, 
210.10;  makes  .  .  wood, 
1 10.49  ;  move,  163.22  ;  one, 
131. 131  ;  our,  155-98; 
peace,  106.20;  pearle,  226. 
22  ;  pull  in,  216.42  ;  rookie, 


1 1 1.5 1;  sanctity,  179. 
144  ;  shagge-eared,  167.83  ; 
shut  up,  56.16;  sleep  .  . 
celebrates,  60.51  ;  sowre, 
62.56  ;  stuff e,  207 A4;  sum- 
mer-seeming, 175.86 ;  taint, 
203-3;  the,  50.50 ;  time, 
188.235;  times  has,  123- 
78;  unsafe  the  while,  108. 
32;  upr'ore,  176.99;  vault- 
ing ambition,  etc.,  48.28; 
way  of  life,  205-22  ;  who 
cannot  want,  139-8 

Eminence,  deference,  108.3 1 

Enow,  plu.  of  enough,  72.8, 
165.57 

Enterance,  three  syllables, 
38.40 

Entreat,  get,  induce  (or) 
pass  the  time,  57.22 

Envernes,  I7th-cent.  form 
of  Inverness,  33-42 

Epicure,  sensualist,  203-8 

Equivocation,  doctrine  of, 
72.12,  217.43 

Ermites,  hermits,  beadsmen, 
44.20 

Establish  estate,  fix  suc- 
cession, 32.37 

Eternal,  immortal,  96.68 

Eterne,  eternal,  108.38 

Euripides,  referred  to, 
III.52 

Even  like,  M.E.  even  lik: 
'just  like,'  86.11 

Even  so,  is  it  possible,  1 95-73 

Ever,  forever,  204.21 

Evill,  disease,  malady, 
180.146 

Evils,  ills,  173.57;  sins, 
vices,  1 77.1 12 

Exasperate,  a  past  parti- 
ciple, 141.38 

Except,  unless,  10.39 

Execution,  wielding,  8.18 

Expectat  ion,  prospect,  prom- 
ise, 71.7;  of  expectation, 
of  those  expected,  1 13-10 

Expedition,  haste,  swiftness, 
79-116 

£xpense,expenditure,226.26 

Expire,  182.172 

Exploit,  act,  159-144 

235 


Extasie,  madness,  106.22, 

182.170 
Extend,  aggravate,  121.57 
Eye,  presence,  184.186 
Eyld,  reward,  43-13 

Fact,  crime,  1 39. 10 
Faculties,  authority,  47.17 
Faile,  miss,  92.28  ;  deny,  re- 
fuse, withhold  from,  140.21 
Faire,  contrasted  with  foule, 

4.10 
Faith,  fealty,  201.18 
Falconry,  1 10.46 
Fall,  cause  of  ruin,  174.69 
False,  treacherous,  84.143 
Fantasticall,  imaginary, 

19.53,  27.139 
Farrow,  litters,  152.65 
Fast,  sound,  1 9 1. 9 
Fatall,  death-boding,  pro- 
phetic, 59.36,  63.3 
Fate,  death,  ruin,  82.127, 

96.72,  103.137,  153-84 
Father,  a  term  of  respect, 

85.4 
Favor,  face,  countenance, 

42.73 
Feare,    to    give    cause    for 

alarm,  42.73  ;   to  fear  for, 

36.17;     to    fear    is    true, 

162.20 
Feares,  objects  of  fear, 

26.137 
Fed,  fatted,  14.6 
Feede,  eat,  119-35 
Fee-grief e,  185-196 
Fell,  savage,  murderous, 

1 66.7 1  ;  covering  of  hair, 

213- II 
Fenny,  fen-inhabiting, 

146.12 
Fevorous,  characterized  by 

shaking,  76.66 
Fie,  interjection  of  indignant 

reproach,  193-40 
Fiend,  monster,  188.233 
Fife,  88.36 
Fight,  fighting,  22.91 
Figures  of   speech,  homely, 

etc.,  40.54 
File,  to   defile,  95-65;    list, 

199-8 


INDEX    TO   THE    NOTES    ON    MACBETH 


Fillet,  lobe  of  lung  or  liver, 

146.12 
Fill  up,  satisfy,  175.88 
Filthie,  murky,  4. 1 1 
Fire,  dissyllabic,  1 46. 1 1 
.Frr/7?e,close  in  texture, 149-38 
Firstlings,  the  first  of  their 

kind,  159-147 
Fit  full  fever,  107.23 
Flawes,  outbursts  or  ac- 
cesses of  passion,  121.63 
Flighty,  fleet,  swift,  159-145 
Floate,  move  to  and  fro, 

163-21 
Florid  style,  78.96 
Flowt,  insult,  1 1.49 
Fly,  any  winged  insect, 

164.32 
Folk-lore.  See  Demonology 
Fool,  laughing-stock,  60.44 
For,  as  for,  1 62. 1 5  J  notwith- 
standing,   172.44;    on    ac- 
count of,  because  of,  10 1. 
121,  187.225 
Forbid,  banned  (homo  inter- 

dictus),  16.21 
Forc'd,  reinforced,  212.5 
Forge,  invent,  175-82 
Forke,  serpent's  tongue, 

147.16 
Forman's  Diary,  122 
Former,  immediately  pre- 
ceding, 1 5  7.1 15 
Forraine,  abroad,  107.25 
Forres,  17.39 
Forth,  abroad,  179-140     ' 
Fortune,  misfortunes,  perils, 

97.78 
Foysons,  resources,  175.88 
Frailties,  unprotected  weak- 
ness, 83.132 
Frame  of  things,  the  uni- 
verse, 106.16 
Franchis'd,  made  free,  58.28 
Free,  faultlessly,  57.19;  to 

banish,  141.35 
Free  hearts,  unrestrained 

thoughts,  29.155 
Free  honors,  guiltless  hon- 
ours, 141.36 
From  him,  by  his  authority, 

23.105 
Fry,  offspring,  168.84 


Fumes,  medical  meaning  of, 
52.66 

Function,  activity  of  intel- 
lectual powers,  27.140 

Gall,  poison,  venom,  39«49 
Gaze,  object  to  gaze  at, 

223.53 
Gender,  change  of,  172.41  ; 

snake,  fern.,  105.14 
Generall,    unrestricted,   un- 
limited,  117.23;   common, 

public,  13-62 
Genitive,    objective,    22.93, 

202.28 ;  prepositional  form 

of,    equivalent    to   posses- 
sive    pronoun,      186.207; 

without  -s,  30.6,  45.27 
Genius,  daimon,  94.56 
Gentle,  courteous,  I8I.I6I  ; 

tame,  subdued,  42.3,   123- 

76 ;  gentle  my  lord,  107.27  ; 

gentle  weale,  123.76 
Gently,  tamely,  220.24 
Gentry,  nobility,  199-9 
Germaine,  a  collective 

plural,  151.59 
Gerund  construction,  218.5, 

221.28 
Give  me,  omission  of  object, 

14.5 
Give  me  your  favour,  28.149 
Given,  forced  to  accept, 

210.12 
Give  out,  report,  184.192; 

describe,  222.37 
Gives  way  to,  gives  rein  to, 

56.9 
Give  .  .  to,  declare  to  be, 

24.119 
Glasse,  magic  mirror, 

157. 119 
Go,  start,  159.146 
Go  off,  euphemism  for  die, 

225.2 
Go  too,  strong  expression 

of  disapproval,  194.52 
God  be  with  you,  good-bye, 

93.44 
God  bless  us,  a  charm 

against  devils,  66.29 
God  eyld  us,  God  bless  us, 

43.13 

236 


God's  soldier  be  he,  226.13 

Golden,  red,  80.118 

Good, advantage,  87.24,  1 3 1. 
135;  brave,  6.4,  1 68.3,  182. 
1 7 1 ,  1 97.2  ;  tending  to  well- 
being,  26.134 

Good  morrow,  74.49 

Goodnesse,  right  and  justice, 
171.33;  success,  179.136 

Goose,  associated  with 
cowardice,  204.12 

Gorgon,  77.77 

Gospell'd,  98.88 

Gouts,  drops,  60.46 

Grace,  good  fortune,  19-55  ; 
favour,  136.31 

Grace  of  grace,  227.38 

Grac'd,  accomplished, 
120.41 

Graces, good  qualities,  1 76.90 

Grafted,  moral  meaning  of, 
173.51 

Grave,  carefully  considered, 
authoritative,  91-22 

Great,  noble,  pertaining  to 
persons  of  high  rank  or 
office,  130.129;  mighty, 
powerful,  179.143 

Greaze,  any  fat-like  sub- 
stance, 152.65 

Greene,  sickly,  49-37 

Greene  one  red,  69-63 

Grim  alarm,  198.4,  5 

Grow,  become  fixed,  32.32 

Growing,  fruitage,  32.29 

Guild,  to  make  red,  68.56 

Had  the  speed  of,  37.36 
Hah,  exclamation  of  sur- 
prise, 69.59 
Halfe-world,  hemisphere, 

60.49 
Hangman,  executioner, 

66.28 
Happinesse,    good    fortune, 

13-58 
Happy,  felicitously  written, 

25-128;  fortunate,  19-62 
Harmes,  injuries,  173-55 
Harnesse,  armour,  218.52 
Harp'd,  guessed,  153-74 
Harrold,  herald,  23-102 
Haunt,  resort  habitually,43-9 


INDEX    TO   THE    NOTES   ON    MACBETH 


Have  in  compt,  to  hold  on 

account,  44.26 
Having,  property,  estate, 

19-56 
Hawking  terms,  86.12 
Hawkt  at,  'attacked,' 

pounced  upon,  87.13 
Head,  f ountainhead,  79. 1 03  ; 

summit  of  eminence,  cap- 
stone,    151.58;     body    of 

people   gathered   together, 

154.97;   in  head,  in  mind, 

131. 139 
Heare,  listen  to,  62.57,  66.24 
Heart  alive,  139-15 
Heavens,  collective  noun, 

85-5  ;   stage  canopy,  85.5 
Heavie,  overpowering,  56.6 
Heccat,  60.52,  109-41,  134. 1 
Heere,  as  adjective,  1 78.1 33T 

180.148 
Heereafter,  213-17 
Hell  gate,  the  gates  of  hell, 

71.2 
Hell-hound,  222.32 
Hell  is  murky,  193-39 
Helpe,  allies,  184.186 
Hemlocke,  148.25 
Hendiadys:  banke  and 

schoole,  46.6 
Herbenger,  purveyor,  33*45, 

218.10 
Hid,  shielded,  protected, 

83.132 
High,  earnest,  36.21 
Highly,  earnestly,  intensely, 

36.21,  45.29 
High  or  low,  great  or  lesser, 

152.67 
Himselfe,  used  as  subject, 

162.8,  181. 150 
Hircan,  Hyrcanian,  1 26.101 
His,   his  descendants,    158. 

124  ;  possessive  case  of  it, 

13.56,  46.4,  76.71,  107.24; 

objective  genitive,  34.55 
Hisse,  183.175 
Hit,  M.  E.  form  of  it,  39-48 ; 

fallen  in  with,  1 38. 1 
Hoa,  1 13-9 
Hold,  withhold,  141.25;  cry 

of  surrender,  224.63 
Hold  from,  restrain,  162.19 


Hold  rumor,  162.19 
Hold  thee  still,  have  pa- 
tience, 1 1 1.54 
Holily,  scrupulously,  36.22  ; 
after  the  administration  of 
the  sacrament,  195-68 
Holinshed,  Shakspere's  use 
of,  5  (intro.  note);    refer- 
ence to,  6.5,  6.9,  8.22,  8.24, 
16.32,   17.39,  19.48,  20.71, 
24.120,  24.126,  25.127,  32. 
37,  34  (intro.  note),  45  (in- 
tro. note),  88.33,  89  (intro. 
note),  103.133,  1 14.18,  130, 
131. 131,  153.80,  156,  1 68.1, 
174.71,  175.87,  175.89,  177. 
104,  178.  134,  181. 157,  190. 
4,  197.2,  203.8,226.18,  226. 
29,  227.41 
Holp,  past  participle  of  help, 

44.23 
Home,  thoroughly,  24.120 
Homely,  simple,  plain, 

humble,  166.68 
Honest,  seeming  true,  24. 1 25 
Honor,  reputation  or  rank, 

58.26;   nobility,  120.40 
Hoodwinke,  blindfold,  1 74.72 
Hope,  ground  of  confidence, 

49-35,  136.30,  171.25 
Horse,  plural  form,  87.14, 

159.140 
Hose,  breeches,  72.19 
Houre,  appointed  hour, 

28.147 
Houre  accursed,  159.133 
Housekeeper,  watch-dog, 

99.97 
How,  what,  130.128 
How  goes  the  world,  87.21 
How  is  't  with,  69.58 
How  sayst  thou  that, 

130.128 
Howie,  wail,  1 69-5 
Howlet,  owlet,  147.17 
Hum,  to  express  doubt, 

143-42 
Humane,  human,  123.76 
Humh,  interjection  of  de- 
spair, 185-203 
Hurley-burley,  tumult,  3-3 
Husbandry,  careful  manage- 
ment, 55.4 

'     237 


1,  not  shortened  in  winde, 
15- II 

/,  aye,  yes,  65-17,  104.2 

/  cannot  tell,  I  do  not  know 
what  to  say,  10.39 

Ignorant,  keeping  in  igno- 
rance, 40.58 

///,  dangerous,  25.131 

///  composed,  badly  com- 
pounded, 175.77 

lllnesse,  unscrupulousness, 
36.21 

Image,  realization  by  im- 
agination, 26.135;  repre- 
sentation, 77.83 ;  type, 
form,  22.97 

Impersonal  idioms :  it  will 
be  raine,  1 1 3- 1 6  ;  it  needes 
(is  necessary),  202.29 

Impresse,  make  mark  or  in- 
cision in,  222.39 

In,  by,  225.8;  into,  24.126, 
73.43  ;  used  to  express  the 
occasion  of  an  action, 
100.107,  170.20;  used  to 
express  the  end  of  an  ac- 
tion, 173.56 

In  best  time,  1 1 6.5 

In  commission,  authorized 
to  hold  trial,  30.2 

In  fulnesse,  by  reason  of 
satiety,  32.34 

In  the  instant,  at  this  mo- 
ment, 40.58 

Indure,  hold  out  against, 
withstand,  210.9 

Industrious,  able,  efficient, 
211. 16 

Infinitive  construction  equi- 
valent to  MN.E.  participial 
phrase,  3 1. 1 1,  44.22,  50. 
50,  68.45,  131- 134,  143-44, 
166.70,  167.79,201.23,219. 
5;  without  to,  1 3 1. 1 38; 
passive,  221.28 

Inform,  to  give  directions, 
37.34 ;  take  visible  shape, 
60.48 

Ingredience,  collective 
plural,  47.11,  148.34 

Inhabit  then,  126.105 

Initiate  feare,  fear  of  a 
novice,  132.143 


INDEX    TO   THE    NOTES   ON    MACBETH 


Innocent,  harmless,  41.66 

Insane,  making  mad,  21.84 

Insanity,  phenomena  of, 
200.13 

Instrumental  case,  84.146 

Instruments,  means,  98.81 

Interdiction,  177.107 

Interim,  usedas  noun,  29- 1 54 

Intermission,  respite, 
188.232 

Interpolations  in  Macbeth, 
5,  13,  62.62,  132,  133,  134, 
149,  151.63,  158.124,  160, 
164.38  to  41,  197,  217.47 
to  50 

Interpret,  say  explicitly, 
18.46,  138.2 

Intrenchant,  not  to  be  cut, 
222.38 

Inventer,  contriver,  47.10 

Invention,  collective  plural, 
92.33 

Is,  has  to,  must,  2 1 0.1 1; 
auxiliary  with  verbs  of  mo- 
tion, 205.23 

Is  instead  of  has  with  verbs 
of  motion,  20.80,  1 04. 1 

It,  as  expression  of  affec- 
tion, 34.58 

Itching  thumbes,  149-43 

Jealousies,  expressions  of 
distrust,  171.29 

Jews,  148.26 

Jocund,  well  pleased,  joy- 
ful, 109.40 

Jumpe,  risk,  hazard,  47.7 

Just,  post-positive,  1 1 2.4; 
faithful  in  personal  obliga- 
tion, 171.30 

Jutty,  part  of  a  building  that 
leans  over  the  rest,  43.6 

Kernes,  peasant  soldiers, 

7.13,  219-17 
Knit,  to  bind,  67.37 
Knot,  bond,  tie,  171.27 
Know,  acknowledge, 

182.165,  194.52 
Knowings,  experiences,  85.4 

Lac  V,ornamentedwith  inter- 
laced bars  or  cords,  80. 1 1 8 


Lacke  you,  notice  your  ab- 
sence,   124.84;   our  lacke, 
188.237 
Lampe,  applied  to  sun,  86.7 
Large,  unrestrained,  1 1 6. 1 1 
Largesse,  gif  ts  ( plural),  56. 1 4 
Last,  rearmost,  1 56 
Latch,  catch,  184.195 
Lated,  made  late,  1 1 3-6 
Lavish,  general  application 

of,  13.57 
Law  terms:   affear'd,   172. 
34 ;   allegeance  cleare,  58. 
28  ;    in    commission,   30.2  ; 
copy,  108.38;  due,  141.25; 
establish   estate   upon,  32. 
37;    exploit,    159-144;    in- 
terdiction, 177.107;  trans- 
pose, 170.21;  unsupported 
testimony  in  cases  of  trea- 
son, 191. 19 
Lay,  lodged,  75-59 
Lease  of  nature,  155-99 
Least,  EL.  spelling  of,  88.37 
Leave,  royal  permission  or 

final  audience,  188.237 
Leavy,  leafy,  218. 1 
Lees,  collective  noun, 

78.100 
Lesser,  used  as  adverb, 

200. 1 3 
Letter-writing:    folding  the 

paper,  190.7 
Levie,  act  of  levying  troops, 

107.25 
Like,  an  adverb,  28.144 
Limited,  appointed,  74.56 
Listning,  listening  to,  66.29 
Lives,  persons,  bodies,  22 1 .3 1 
Lizards,  147.17 
Loone,  Scottish  term  of 

abuse,  204.11 
Loose,  lose,  35-13 
Loose  labour,  22237 
Lord,  husband,  120.53 
Lost,  bewildered,  70.71 
Lo  you,  192.21 
Luxurious,  lecherous,  1 74.58 
Lye,  sleep,  65-20  ;  a  term  in 
wrestling,  73-47  ;  encamp, 
212.3 
Lyest,  monosyllabic,  167.83, 
219.10 

238   ' 


Lymbeck,  an  alembic,  still, 

53-67 
Z,j/ne,furnish,support,23.1 12 

Macbeth  tradition,  Slatyer's 
Palasalbion,  1 1 4. 1 8 

Made,  uttered,  182.169 

Maggot  pye,  magpie,  1 29. 1 25 

Maine,  chief,  210.10 

Majesty  plural,  1 3-64,  32.37, 
1 1 5-3,  1 1 8.32,  124.90,  179. 
137 

Make,  represent  to  be,  1 61.4 

Man,  manhood,  manliness, 
198.4,  5,  223.47 

Mansionry,  43.5 

Marlet, swift  or  swallow, 42.4 

Marre  all,  to  spoil  every- 
thing, 194.51 

Marrow,  seat  of  nerve  force, 
125-94 

Marry,  to  be  sure,  138.4 

Mated,  dazed,  1 96.86 

May,  denoting  possibility, 
1 01. 1 22,  167.82;  denoting 
obligation,  120.42 

Meale,  a  singular  noun, 
106.17 

Meanes  (sing.),  medium,  in- 
strument, agent,  etc.,  88. 
29,  181. 163 

Medical  terms :  perturba- 
tion, 1 9 1. 10;  distempered, 
200.15,  202.30,207.45 

Meere,  absolute,  175.89, 
181. 152 

Melt,  fade  away,  21.82 

Memory.     See  Psychology 

Metal,  material,  constituent 
elements,  53-73 

Metaphysical,  supernatural, 
37.30 

Methinks,  it  seems  to  me, 
166.70,  216.34 

Milke  of  concord,  176.98 

Mind,  in  EL.  psychology, 
94.52,  95-65 

Mine,  usual  form  before 
vowel,  206.36 ;  in  my 
power,  31.20 

Minions,  darlings,  87.15 

Minister,  to  prescribe, 
207.40 


INDEX   TO   THE    NOTES    ON    MACBETH 


Ministers,  instruments  of 
darkness,  39-49 ;  agents, 
227.34 

Minutely,  every  minute, 
201.18 

Mischance,  misfortune, 
120.43 

Misprints  in  the  First  Folio 
edition  of  Macbeth  :  barlet 
for  marlet,  42A  ;  cyme  for 
cenny,  208.55 ;  dead  for 
head,  154.97;  her  omitted, 
207.39;  indeed  for  in 
deed,  132.143;  incarnar- 
dine  for  incarnadine,  69- 
62  ;  mansonry  for  mansion- 
ry  or  masionry,  43-5  ;  must 
for  most,  43-9;  ?  Now  for 
How,  9? '.75  ;  no  for  c/o,  50. 
47;  prey's  for  preys,  III. 
53  5  ?  pull  for  c?u//  or  pa//, 
216.42;  can  for  ran  or 
cam,  22.98  ;  sides  for  slides, 
61.55;  sonnes  for  sonne, 
141.24;  Son's  for  Forz's,  17. 
39  ;  •?  sowre  for  sowrd,  62. 
56;  fa/e  for  Aai/e,  22.97; 
?fnen  for  fnere,  126.105; 
they  ior  thy,  178.133;  they 
may  for  tuai/  they,  62.57  ; 
misplaced  line  possible, 
56.16,  163-22 

Misse,  long  for  in  absence, 
225.1 

Missives,  messengers,  35-7 

Moderne,  commonplace, 
182.170 

Modest,  sober,  1 78. 1 19 

Moe,  form  of  comparative 
when  used  as  noun  with 
partitive  genitive,  206.35 

Monkie,  term  of  endear- 
ment, 166.59 

Monstrous,  trisyllabic  in 
EL.  E.,  139-8 

Monuments,  tombs,  burying- 
vaults,  122.72 

More,  greater,  better,  strong- 
er, etc.,  29-153;  farther, 
further,  131. 137,  226.30 

More  and  lesse,  great  ones 
(nobles)  and  those  of  lesser 
rank,  210.12 


Morrow,  retains  its  sense  of 

morning,  41.63 
Mortall,  deadly,  death-deal- 
ing, 38.42,  168.3 
Mortall  custome,  I55-IOO 
Mortified,  benumbed, 

198.4,  5 
Most,    best,  82.126;   form- 
ing   superlative    of   mono- 
syllabic adj.,  I9I-9 
Motion,  expression,  82.129 
Motives,  moving  causes  for 

action,  171.27 
Mounch,to  chew  with  closed 

lips,  14.5 
Move,  toss,  163.22 
Moves,  angers,  120.46 
Multiplying,  prolific,  7.12 
Mummy,  147.23 
Mungrels,  sheep-dogs,  99-93 
Muse,  wonder,  124.85 
Must,  expresses  fatal  neces- 
sity as  well  as  moral  obli- 
gation, 222.41  ;  had  to  be 
(originally  past  tense),  186. 
212 
My  better  part  of,  the 
stronger  part  of  my,  223-47 

Napkins,  handkerchiefs,  72.8 
Nature,  character,  disposi- 
tion, 26.137,  36.17,  174.67, 
178.125;   essential  charac- 
teristics,87. 1 6  ;  life, vitality, 
53-68,  64-7,80.119,  108.38, 
118.28,    131- HI;     natural 
feeling,  sympathy,  39-46 
Naught,  wicked,  187.225 
Nave,  (?)  navel,  8.22 
Navigation,  shipping,  150.54 
Needs,  it  is  necessary,  1 12.2 
Neere,  a  comparative  form, 

84.146 
Nerves,  sinews,  126.102 
Neutrall,  indifferent,  79.115 
Newest,  latest,  6.3,  183.174 
Newly,  anew,  226.31 
Newts,  147.14 
Next,  nearest,  216.39 
Nice,  used  of  figurative  lan- 
guage, 183-174 
Night  gowne,  dressing- 
gown,  70.70,  190.5 

239 


Night  shrieke,  hooting  of 

night-owl,  2 1 3- 1 1 
No  lesse,  as   much,  32.30; 

no  other,  nothing  else,  126. 

97 ;   no  other  but,  no  one 

besides  (or)  not  otherwise 

than,  210.8 
None,  not  one  (man),  50.47 
Non-pareill,  the  star  of  one's 

profession,  1 17.17 
Nor,  and  not,  8.21,  39.47 
Nor  .  .  nor,  107.24,  217.48 
Norwayes,  Norwegians, 

13.59 
Note,    importance,"    109.44, 

220.21  ;  list,  1 13-10  ;  to  pay 

attention  to,  121.56 
Nothing,  used  as  an  adverb, 

22.96,  201.20,  209.2 
Notion,  understanding,  98.83 
Noyse,   applied    to  musical 

sounds,  155-106;  clamour, 

outcries,  212.7 

Oblivious,  causing  forgetful- 
ness,  207.43 

Obscure,  haunting  the  dark- 
ness, 75.64 

Occasion,  necessity,  70.70 

Of,  by,  7.13,  138.4,  141.27; 
from,  153-82;  away  from, 
37.36  ;  with,  1 75-89  ;  before 
direct  object  after  present 
active  participles,  75-63 

Of  all  men  else,  more  than 
any  one  else,  222.33 

Of  old,  formerly,  44.18 

Off,  away,  227.37 

Offend,  injure,  121.57 

Office,  performance  of  duty, 
83-142;  part,  1 12.3 

Offices,  apartments  of 
domestics,  56.14 

Oh!  ah!  194.59 

Old,  expletive  word  in  EL. 
E.,  71.3;  senior,  178.134 

Omission  of  subject  and 
predicate,  108.32,  118.31, 
160.153,  I84.I9I,  185-197 

Omission  of  verb  of 
motion,  179-136 

Omitted  relative,  219.7 

On,of,73.46, 100.114,195.71 


INDEX    TO   THE    NOTES   ON    MACBETH 


One,  not  yet  wdn,  146.7, 
227.40;  person,  1 3 I.I 31 

Onely,  position  of,  31-20, 
1 26.98  ;  onely  to,  merely  in 
order  to,  23-102 

Open,  disclose,  173-52 

Oppos'd,  an  adversary, 
223.60 

Or  ere,  even  before,  183-173 

Order,  plan  of  battle,  218.6 

Oreleape,  48.27 

Other,  plural,  15-14;  other- 
wise^^ ;  second,  1 57. 1 14 

Ours,  belonging  to  our  side, 
212.5 

Out,  away  from  home  (and 
hence)  under  arms,  184.183 

Overcome,  come  over,  pass 
over,  I27.III 

Owe,  possess,  20.76,  30.10, 
I28.II3 

'Paint,  advertise,  223-55 
'Pall,  lose  will  power,  2 1 6.42 
'Palter,  dodge  off  and  on, 

223.49 
'Paralell,  bring  into  com- 
parison with,  76.67 
'Parted,  departed,  226.18 
Participial  construction  for 
relative     clause,      223-60 ; 
with         indirect-discourse 
verbs,  173-50,  220.22 
'Particulars,  peculiar  char- 
acteristics, 173-51 
Partitive  genitive,  20.80 
'Partner,  companion,  19-54, 

28.142 
'Passion,  paroxysm,   121.57 
Past  participles,   strong  in 
EL.  E.,  30.3,  1 52.65  ;  mono- 
syllabic, 38.39  ;  without  suf- 
fix, 127.109,  141.38;  used 
as  adjectives,  97.80 
Past  tense  :  suffix  -ed  mak- 
ing separate  syllable,  177. 
Ill 
'Patch,  fool,  204.15 
'Pawser,  loiterer,  79.117 
'Pay,  reward,  158.132 
'Peake,  grow  sickly,  16.23 
'Pearle,  collective  plural  in 
EL.E.,  226.22 


'Pent-house,  curtain,  15.20 
'Perfect,   familiar    with,    in- 
formed,   35.3,    166.66;    in 
sound  mental  health,  sane, 
1 17.21 
'Perfect  spy,  102.130 
Personal  ending  of  third  at- 
tached to   second  person, 
216.39 
'Perturbation,  anxiety, 

191. 10 

'Pester' 'd,    hampered,    cum- 
bered    (applied    to     over- 
loaded stomach),  201.23 
'Petty,  wide  range  of  use  in 

EL.E.,  214.20 
'Physick,  heal,  74.55 
'Pitfall,  164.35 
'Pit  of  Acheron,  135-15 
<Pittiful,  feeling  pity,  1 10.47 
'Place,  hawking  term,  86.12 
'Planted,  established,  226.31 
'Pleas 't,  retaining  subjunc- 
tive idiom,  120.44 
'Pluckes,  holds  back,  1 78. 1 1 9 
Plural,  inflectionless :   busi- 
nesse,    135-22;    mile,   2 1 6. 
37;  sense,  192.28 
'Point,  reason,  98.86 ;  at  a 

point,  ready,  178.135 
'Poorely,  spiritlessly,  70.72 
'Portable,  endurable,  175-89 
Portents  of  Duncan's  mur- 
der, 87.18 
Possessive  case.     See 

Genitive 
'Posters,  couriers,  16.33 
'Poure,  pour  out,  202.28 
'Power,  troops,  184.185, 

188.236 
'Beyond  my  practice,  out- 
side my  experience,  195-66 
'Prayers,  dissyllabic,  66.25 
Predicate,  omission  of,  9.26, 
29.152,    30.1,    60.46,    131. 
132;   singular  with   plural 
subject,  28.147,  62.61,  84. 
146,  85.6,  108.37,  123.78 
'Predominance,   astrological 
influence,  86.8 
Preposition,  repetition  of, 

131. 137 
'Present,  to    show,   1 08.3 1  ; 

240 


attendant,  62.59',  present 
before  one,  26.137  ;  imme- 
diate, 13.64 

'Presently,  immediately, 
180.145 

Present  participle  of  mono- 
syllabic verbs  ending  in 
long  vowel,  43-6 

'Pretend,  aim  at,  87.24 

'Pretense,  intention,  pur- 
pose, 83.137 

'Preys,  distributive  plural, 
1 1 1.53 

'Primrose  way,  72.24 

Prince  of  Cumberland,  29, 
32.37 

Printing,  peculiarities  of 
Elizabethan,  20.79 

'Prithee,  78.94,  1 1 1. 56 

'Probation,  proving,  97.80 

'Produce  forth,  bring  forth 
into  light,  227.34 

'Professe,  claim  to  know, 
1 50.50  ;  declare  adherence 
to,  221.27 

'Profound,  of  deep  signifi- 
cance, 136.24 

Prolepsis,  42.3 

'Pronounc' d,  proclaimed, 
203.5 

Pronouns,  personal,  used 
reflexively,  186.214,  202. 
29 ;  used  indefinitely,  55. 
5,  1 75. 80;  possessive,  de- 
notingfamily,  retinue,  prop- 
erty, etc.,  44.26,  2 1 2.5,  222. 
35  ;  reflexive,  used  as  sub- 
jects without  strengthening 
pronouns,  90.5 ;  relative 
used  as  connective,  8.21, 
37.37,  IOI.I22;  standing 
for  word  to  be  supplied 
from  context,  128. 1 16 

'Proper,  fine,  121.60 

'Proportion,  portion,  allot- 
ment, 31.19 

Prosody.     See  Rhythm, 
Versification,  Stress 

'Prosperous,  turning  out 
well  (or)  favourable,  91-22 

'Protest,  proclaim,  make 
public  declaration  of,  126. 
105  ;  put  in  evidence,  1 99. 1 1 


INDEX    TO    THE    NOTES    ON    MACBETH 


Proverbs  and  proverbial  ex- 
pressions :  blood  will  have 
blood,  128.122  ;  death  can- 
cels all  bonds,  110.49; 
from  the  top  to  the  toe,  38. 
43  ;  the  farmer  that  hanged 
himself,  71.6;  naught 's 
had  .  .  without  content, 
104.4;  neere  in  blood,  etc., 
84.146;  the  night  is  long 
that  never  finds  the  day, 
188.240;  cat  that  would  eat 
fish,  49.45;  things  at  the 
worst,  164.24;  time  and 
the  houre,  28.147 

Psychology  of  Shakspere's 
time:  anxiety,  15.18;  cor- 
poral agents,  53-80,  70.68; 
ego,  26 ;  gall,  39-49  j  genius, 
94.56;  hallucinations,  122, 
124,  125 ;  heart  the  seat 
of  will,  159-147;  heat-op- 
pressed braine,  59-39 ; 
marrow,  125-94;  melan- 
choly, 38.44,  67.35,  105.8; 
memorie,  52.65 ;  motion, 
82.129;  phantasy,  56.9; 
senses,  212.10  ;  spirits,  13- 
56,39-50;  suggestion,  19 1, 
195-74;  will,  26,  39-47 

Pull  in,  216.42 

Punctuation,  alterations  of, 
which  confuse  the  sense, 
23-102,  88.27,  88.37,  90.7, 
93-48,  96.71,  128.122,  130. 
128,  134.2,  146.10,  154.97, 
169-15,  198-4,5,  204.21, 
205-27 ;  of  anacolutha, 
102.127,  148.31,  204.19; 
of  clauses,  13-56,  97.80, 
100.102,  108.32;  close, 
145-2;  colon  a  light  point 
in  EL.  printing,  146.7; 
of  exclamations,  11.45, 
51-59,  69-59,  I57.II6;  hy- 
phens: more-having,  175. 
8 1  ;  sainted-king,  177.109; 
misprints  in,  24.120, 146.5  ; 
quotation-marks,  67.35, 
145-3 

Puns.  See  Double  meaning 

Purge,  remedy,  123.76;  to 
cure,  208.52 


Purveyor,  caterer,  44.22 
Push,  test,  issue,  204.21 
Put  in  your  bosomes,  confide 

to  you,  100.104 
Put  on,  set  to  work,  188.239 
Put  to,  confide  in,  178.122 
Put  upon,  address  with, 

95.58;  accuse  of,  53-70 
Pyramid,  steeple,  spire, 

150.57 

Quarrell,  cause,  claim, 
179-137 

Quarry,  heap  of  slain,  7.14  ; 
heap  of  slaughtered  game, 
186.206 

Quell,  murder,  53-72 

Quench,  smother  vital  en- 
ergy, 63-2 

Question,  talk  with,  18.43; 
inquire  into,  83.134;  dis- 
cussion, 128. 1 18 

r,  vowel  sound  developed 

out  of,  38.40,  1 08.30,  139-8 
Rancours,  95-67 
Rapt,  28.142 

The  rather  .  .  for  that,  the 
more  strongly  because,  184. 
184 
Ravel'd,  entangled,  67.37 
'Raven  up,  devour,  88.28 
Ravin7  d,  gorged  with  prey, 

148.24 
Ravishing,  rapid,  swift, 

61.55 
Rawnesse,  rashness, 

cruelty,  171.26 
Reades  in,  infers  from,  22.9 I 
Readinesse,  associated  with 

dress  in  EL.E.,  83.139 
Rebellious  head,  154.97 
Rebuked,  checked,  re- 
strained, 94.56 
Receit,  treasury,  52.66 
Receiv'd,  believed,  53-74 
Reckon  with,  render  ac- 
count for,  226.27 
Recorded  time,  214.21 
Recoyle,  break,  201.23  ;  give 

way,  break  down,  170.19 
Reflection,  direct  shining, 
9-25 

241 


Relate,  give  utterance  to, 

211. 19 
Relation,  report,  183-173 
Relations,  utterances, 

129.124 
Rellish  of,  trace  of,  176.95 
Remembrance,      considera- 
tion, 108. 30;  has  four  sylla- 
bles, 108.30 
Remembrancer,  prompter, 

monitor,  119-37 
Remorse,  compassion,  38.45 
Rendred,  surrendered, 

220.24 
Rent,  rend,  tear,  182.168 
Repeat,  reiterate  charges, 

I77.II2 
Repetition,  utterance,  78.90 
Repetitions,  207.44,  226.26, 

227.38 
Report,  statement  of  facts, 
35-3  ;  with  objective  modi- 
fier, 141.38,  209.7 
Require,  ask  for,  1 1 6.6 
/  require,  it  is  necessary  for 

me  to  have,  103.133 
Resolve  your  selves,  come 
to  your  decision,  103-137 
Rest,  remain,  44-20  ;  sleep, 
207.39;  ease,  idleness,  33. 
44 
Restlesse,  that  gives  no 

rest,  106.22 
Retreat,  signal  for  giving  up 

the  pursuit,  225 
Revolt,  desertion,  210.12 
Rhythm:  adapted  to  thought, 
3.1,  4.7,   13,   19-48,   19-62, 
21.81,   41.60,   42.3,   44.20, 
53-72,  63-1,   65-17,   68.43, 
107.23,  128.122,  133,138.7, 
140.17,149-38,151-59,152. 
71,  169.12,  196.79,  197.87, 
204.10,214.19,215,216.38, 
224.62 ;      cadence-rhythm, 
16.33  ;  fallingrhythm  suited 
to    supernatural   interests, 
133;  prose  rhythms,  72.28, 
192.24  to  30;  reversal  of, 
31.16,  97.77,  120.50 
Ride,  peculiar  use  of,  91-19 
Right,  claim  to  the  throne, 
172.42 


INDEX    TO    THE    NOTES    ON    MACBETH 


(Rightly,  really,  perfectly, 
171.30 

^ise,  to  break  up  a  meeting, 
120.52 

The  Roman  fool,  221.30 

Ronsard's  description  of 
James  V,  157 

(Ronyon,  scurvy  person,  14.6 

(Rookie,  full  of  rooks,  or  (?) 
misty,  1 1 1.5 1 

(Roote,  progenitor,  90.5 

(Rore,  more  dignified  than  in 
MN.E.,  53.78 

Rosse,  personal  character- 
istics, 183.174 

(Round, circlet,  crown,  37.29, 
154.88 

(Royalty  of  nature,  fitness 
for  kingship,  94.50 

(Rubs,  rough  places  on  bowl- 
ing-green, 103-134 

(Rugged,  wrinkled,    107.27; 
shaggy,  fierce,  126.100 

(Rule,  regimen,  to  control, 
201.16 

(Rumpe-fed,  14.6 

(Run,  past  tense  of  to  run, 
79-117 

Outrun,  79.117 

(Russian  beare,  I26.IOO 

Safeties,  safeguards,  171.30 
Safety,  trisyllabic,  94.54, 

171.30 
Sagge,  204.10 
Sainted,  saint-like,  holy, 

177.109 
Sanctity,  miraculous  power, 

179.144 
Satis  fie,  assure,  155-104, 

192.36 
Sauce,  a  provocative  of 

appetite,  175-81 
Savage,  brutal,  166.70 
Say,  tell,  6.6,  104.3,  216.32; 

absolute  use  of,  186.213 
Scan'd,  judged,  1 31- 1 40 
Scene  directions  in  Macbeth 

are  modern  additions,  144, 

190 
Scene  division,  alteration  of 

FO.'S,  62,  221.30 
Schoole,  reprove,  1 62. 1 5 


Schreemes  of  death,  75-61 
Scone,  88.31,  227.40 
Scorched,  hacked,  lacerated, 

105.13 
Scruples,  doubts,  83.135, 

I78.II6 
Seare,  withered,  dry,  205.23 
Season,  a  preservative  from 

decay,  I3I.I4I 
Seat,  site,  42.1 
Seated,  fixed,  26.136 
Second  cock,  72.30 
Second  course,  68.39 
Secret,  occult,  150.48 
Security,  confidence,  1 36.32 
Seedes,  descendants,  96.70 
Seeling,  term  of  falconry, 

110.46 
Seem  to,  to  be  on  the  point 

of,  9-25,  11-47,  37.30 
Seeming,  belonging  to,  suit- 
able to,  appearing,  175-86 
Seest,  a  monosyllable,  85-5 
Selfe,  as  an  adjective,  227. 
36 ;     as   first    element    of 
compound     words,     12.55, 
132.142 
Sell,  deceive,  betray,  1 65.4 1 
Send,  send  a  messenger, 
130.129,  142.39,  208.49 
Senit,  set  of  notes  on  the 

trumpet,  90.10 
Sense,  plural  without  suffix, 

192.28 
Sensible,  perceptible,  59-36 
Sergeant,  a  trisyllable,  6.3 
Service,  course,  45 
Set  forth,  declare  publicly, 

30.6 
Setons  of  Touch,  206.33 
Setting  downe  before,  be- 
sieging, 210.10 
Settled,  determined,  53-79 
Sev' night,  week,  16.22 
Sewer,  chief  butler,  45 
Shadow,  spectral  illusion, 
215.24;  to  conceal,  209-5 
Shagge-ear'd,  167.83 
Shall,  ought  to,  must,  43-13, 
170.20,  21 1. 18;    may,   am 
going  to,  1 7 1.3 1  ;  shall  be, 
will  be,   will   come  to  be, 
122.73 

242 


Shall  and  will,  use  of,  in  EL. 

E.,  102.126 
Shame,  to  avoid  with  sense 

of  shame,  70.64 
Shame  it  selfe,  1 2 1 .66 
Shard,  scaly  wing-case, 

109.42 
Sharks,  148.24 
Shew,  pageant    or    proces- 
sion, 156  ;  toappear,  19-54  ; 

let  one  know,  1 56. 1 07  ;  dis- 
close oneself,  218.2 
ShewJd,  disclosed,  told,  57. 

21  ;  appeared,  looked,  8.15 
Shift,  to  practise  knavery, 

84.151 
Shine,  reflect  glory  and 

honor,  90.7 
Ship  of  Fooles,  the,  referred 

to,  214.19 
Shipman,  mariner,  15.17 
Shipman's  card,  compass, 

15.17 
Shooke  hands,  8.21 
Should,  18.45,  82.127,  166. 

73,  172.49,  213-17,  216.31, 

220.20.     See  Shall 
Showgh,  shock,  rough, 

shaggy  dog,  99-93    ( 
Shut  up  in,  restricted  to, 

56.16 
Sight,  perception  by  sight, 

77.76,   196.86;    portent  or 

pageant,  160.155 
Sightlesse,  invisible,  39-50, 

48.23 
Signes,  marks  of  distinction, 

33-41 
Silenc'd,  at  a  non  plus,  22.93 
Silver,  connoting  whiteness, 

80.118 
Single,  simple,  united,  har- 
monious,   27.139;     trivial, 

44.16 
-sion,  dissyllabic,  8.18 
Sir,  address  to  majesty, 

130.129,  181. 163 
Sirrha,  use  of,  93-45,  164-30 
Skarfe  up,  blindfold,  1 10.47 
Skirre,  to  flit,  to  pass  hur- 
riedly over,  206.35 
Slab,  miry,  sticky,  pasty, 

148.32 


INDEX    TO   THE    NOTES   ON    MACBETH 


Slaughterous  thoughts,  mur- 
derous impulses,  213.14 
Sleave,  unspun  silk,  67.37 
Sleeke,  to  smooth  out,  107.27 
Sleep,  77.79,  154.86 
Sleepie,  plunged  in  sleep, 

68.50 
Slides,  glides,  61.55 
Slights,  arts,  contrivances, 

136.26 
Slip,  let  slip,  74.52 
Slippes,  small  branches, 

148.27 
Slivered,  lopped  off,  clipped, 

148.28 
Slope,  incline,  150.57 
Slumbry,  occurring  in  sleep, 

191. 12 
Smells,  breathes  upon,  43.6 
So,  used  to  represent  pre- 
ceding notion,  60.47,  171. 
24  ;  without  as,  74.56 
So  as,  as  .  .  as,  10.43 
Society,   social  intercourse, 

93.42;  company,  1 15-3 
Sodaine,  sudden,  174.59 
Sole,  mere,  169-12 
Solemne,  ceremonial,   91.14 
Solicites,  wins  the  favour  of, 

180.149 
Soliciting,  advocacy  of  one's 

interests,  25-130 
Something,  somewhat, 

103.132 
Sometime,  sometimes,  43.1 1 
Sore,  grievous,  85-3 
Sorrow,  monosyllabic, 

82.129 
Sorryest,  most  gloomy,  1 05-9 
Sorts,  classes,  49-33 
Soule,  person,  98.83 
Soundly,  heartily,  52.63 
Soveraigne,  used  of  potency 

for  healing,  202.30 
Sowre,  saturnine,  62.56 
Spacious  plenty,  unrestrict- 
ed license,  174.71 
Spaniels,  99-93 
Speake, confer,  41.72, 97.74  ; 

prove,  1 8 1. 1 59 
Speaker,  reporter,  183-175 
Speculation,  power  of  vision, 
126.95 


Speeches,  statements,  90.7, 
97.76,  I38.I 

Spelling:  anomalous  in  bol- 
ter'd,  157.123  ;  a  for  ea  in 
heart,  1 55- 100;  M.E.  ai  re- 
tained in  unstressed  syl- 
lables, 4.4,  86.7,  107.25, 
174.59;  ay  for  MN.E.  ey, 
204.16;  c  corresponding 
to  MN.E.  s,  61.53,  208. 
55  ;  e  for  i  in  cistern,  174. 
63;  ea  representing  M.E. 
long  open  e  in  lest,  88. 
37;  in  seaventh,  1 57.1 18; 
ea  and  ee  confused,  67.37  ; 
ea  and  ee  before  or  after 
nandr,  75.61,  1 72.34;  pos- 
sible mistake  of  ee  for  ai, 
204.21  ;  ei  representing  i, 
37.29;  M.  B.gh  retained  in 
high,  37.26;  unhistoric  gh 
in  spite,  1 00. 1 1 1  ;  gu  before 
palatal  vowels,  181. 157; 
loss  of  h,  44.20  ;  long  open 
o  in  oh,  183-173  ;  00  before 
r  and  consonant,  178.135  ; 
00  (  =  u)  representing  ou, 
162.14;  past  tense  of  verbs 
in  -en,  -er,  220.24;  phonetic: 
hoboyes,  42  ',skirre,  206.35  ; 
unruffe,  1 99- I 0 ;  -que,  suffix 
corresponding  to  MN.E.  c, 
20.78,  107.25;  sch  and  sc 
confused,  75-61  ;  sh  and  sch 
confused,  46.6 ;  -f  in  past 
participles,  19-57,  177.107  ; 
t h  a  Latin  form  of  f,  1 2 1 .66  ; 
u  before  /  and  consonant, 
86.12  ;  u  corresponding  to 
MN.  E.  ou,  48.23  ;  u  written 
w  before  a  consonant,  152. 
64;  miscellaneous:  humane 
for  human,  36. 18;/  for  aye, 
65. 1 7  ;  ingredience,  47. 1 1  ; 
kalender,  159-134;  metal 
and  mettle  not  distin- 
guished, 53-73;  schoole, 
46.6 ;  too  and  to  not  dis- 
tinguished, 73-42 

Spirit,  monosyllabic,  38-41, 
102.128 

Spirits,  vigour,  energy, 
13-56,  37.27 

243 


Spoke,  spoken,  1 69. 1 1 
Spoken,  currently  reported, 

181. 154 
Sprights,  spirits,  77.84, 

136.27,  158.127 
Spring,  sunrise,  9-25 
Spy  o'  th'  time,  102.130 
Staffe,  baton,  208.48 
Stage  direction,  altered  by 
modern  editors,  10.43,  64-9, 
119-39,      125.93,      149-39; 
"enter"  means  takes  part 
in    action,    56.9;    "enter" 
means  re-enter,  78.95,  97. 
73  ;   intruded  from  margin 
of  MS.,  77.85, 115- 1  ;  mean- 
ing of  torches  in,  42  ;   omit- 
ted in  FO.,  55.5,  65-20,  212. 
8,     122.73;      pantomimic, 
224.63 
Stampe,  coin,  1 8 1. 1 53 
Stand,  stand  still,  66.24, 

158.126 
Stand  close,  keep  hidden, 

192.23 
Stand  not,  attach  no  impor- 
tance to,  128. 1 19 
Starres,  all  heavenly  bodies, 

34.50 
Start,  to  tremble,  194.51, 

213-15 
State,  throne,  chair  of  state, 

1 16.5 
State  of  honor,  rank, 

166.66 
State  of  man,  27.140 
Station,  bearing,  225.8 
Staunchlesse,  normal  com- 
pound from   staunch,  that 
which  quenches,  175.78 
Staves,  spears,  219- 18 
Stay,  wait  for,  179.142 
Step,  round  of  ladder,  pro- 
motion, 33-48 
Stept  in,  advanced  in, 

131- 137 
Stern'st,  grimmest,  63-4 
Stick  deep,  take  deep  root, 

94-49,  175.85 
Sticking  on  his  hands, 

201.17 
S ticking-place  of  crossbow, 
52.60 


INDEX    TO    THE    NOTES    ON    MACBETH 


Still,  always,  43-12,  45.28, 
47.8,  58.27 

Stirre,  action,  activity, 
28.144 

Stoole,  chair,  122.68 

Stout,  proud,  22.95 

Straight,  immediately, 
103.140 

Strange,  unfamiliar,  28.145, 
41.64,  128. 1 12 

Stress,  in  general:  49-30, 
90.2,  92.29,  1 16.9,  164.36, 
167.76,  171.30,220.20,222. 
32,  223-51  }  lack  of,  pro- 
ducing contractions — pro- 
nouns: it  reduced  to  't, 
6.7,  58.25,  140.16,  154.89, 
160.149,  174.67;  them  re- 
duced to  'em,  64.13,  151. 
63 ;  us  reduced  to  '  s, 
24.125,  his  reduced  to  ' s, 
44.24,81.124;  definite  arti- 
cle :  the  reduced  to  th' ,  4. 5, 
21.88,  38.43,  56.16,  90.2, 
I3I.I33,andcp.  14.7, 15.17, 
36. 18;  substantive  verb: 
am  reduced  to  'm,  26.133, 
53.79,  100.108,  167.74;  is 
reduced  to  's,  8.15,  94.54, 
1 83. 1 74  ;  are  reduced  to  'r, 
1 1 6.8;  was  reduced  to  's, 
8.15,  66.23;  were  reduced 
to  'r,  8.15;  other  verbs: 
have  reduced  to  'v,  1 14.20, 
167.74,  180.149;  has  re- 
duced to  ;s,  196.86;  would 
reduced  to  'd,  58.23  ;  prep- 
ositions :  in  reduced  to  i', 
14.7,  15.17;  0/ reduced  to 
o',  14.7,  36.18;  to  reduced 
to  t',  44.24,  1 30. 1 29 1  do  an 
unstressed  word :  /  shall 
do  so,  187.220;  *t  is  done, 
46.1  ;  must  do,  36.24  ;  well 
done,  149-39  J  mine  stressed 
in  mine  owne,  1 31  -1 35,  171. 
30  ;  it  is  one,  74.54  ;  in  repe- 
titions :  speak,  speak,  78. 
88;  God,  God,  196.83;  in 
simple  words  :  accesse,  38. 
45  ;  authorized,  1 2 1 .66  ; 
baboon,  148.37;  chastise, 
37.28;  Heccat,  60.52,  109. 


41;  minutely,  201.18;  6b- 
scure,  75.64 ;  perseverance, 
176.93;  purveyor,  44.22; 
thereby,  209-5  ;  instrument, 
98.81  ;  incompoundwords : 
hdlfe-world,  60.49 ;  leave- 
taking,  84.150,  171.28; 
mdnkinde,  87.18 

Strike,  smite  with  mysteri- 
ous power,  187.225 

Strong,  violent,  82.129 

Strooke,  e.N.  E.  past  partici- 
ple and  past  tense  of  strike, 
187.225 

Studied,  trained,  practised, 
30.9 

Stuff e,  rant,  121.60 

Style,  73.47,  78.96 

Subborned,  instigated  to 
crime,  87.24 

Subject,  object,  1 1 3-8 

Subject,  omission  of,  163.23, 
210.9;  repeated  by  pro- 
noun, i64.36 

Subjunctive  forms.     See 
<Dare,  Pleas' t 

Subjunctive  idioms:   do, 
218.7;  rise,  \54S7 

Successe,  issue,  26.132 

Suffer,  perish,  1 06. 1 6 

Suffixes.  See  under  sepa- 
rate suffixes 

Suggestion,  temptation, 
26.134 

Suicide  intended  by  Mac- 
beth, 215 

Summer,  pleasant,  175.86 

Sundry,  distinct,  diverse, 
172.48 

Superlative,  formed  by  -st: 
kindst,  58.24;  neerst,  101. 
118;  perfectst,  35.3;  se- 
cret st,  129.126;  sternst, 
63.4 ;  used  substantively, 
I0I.II8 

Superstitions :  croaking  of 
ravens,  38.39 ;  venomous 
beasts,  146.8 

Supply' d,  reinforced,  7.13 

Surcease,  cessation,  46.4 

Surmise,  accuse,  charge, 
27.141 

Survey,  discern,  9. 3 1 

244 


Swarme,  used  of  mobs,  7.12 

Sway  by,  govern  by,  hold 
prestige  by,  204.9 

Sweares,  swears  allegiance, 
165.47 

Sweat  for  't,  pay  the  pen- 
alty, 72.9 

Swelling,  proud,  magnifi- 
cent, 25.128 

Swelter,  exude,  146.8 

Sworne  to,  sworn  to  do, 
51.58 

Syncopations  (loss  of  medial 
unstressed  syllable) :  abso- 
lute,  31.14, 172.38;  alarum, 
218.10;  ceremony,  1 1 9-36; 
confident,  210.8;  confer- 
ence, 37.79 ;  credulous, 
178.120;  dangerous,  167. 
77;  desolate,  1 68. 1  ;  en- 
emy, 100.105,  115;  gentle- 
men, 25.129;  heavily,  184. 
182;  herbenger,  33-45;  in- 
nocent, 41.66,  67.36,  97.79, 
110.45,  170.16;  intemper- 
ance, 1 74.66  ;  invisible,  1 10. 
48;  laudable,  167.76;  ma j- 
estie,  44.18  ;  medicine,  202. 
27;  minister,  39-49,  207. 
40,  46 ;  mockery  (so  print- 
ed), 127.107;  myraculous, 
1 80. 1 47  ;  nourisher,  68.40  ; 
perilous,  207  AA ',  perse- 
verance, 176.93;  pittifull, 
110.47,  181. 151  ;  purga- 
tive, 208. 55  ;  ravishing,  61. 
55  ;  resolute,  1 53-79  ;  specu- 
lative, 2 1 1 . 1 9  ;  sur feted, 
64.5;  terrible,  1 1.5 1,  1 06. 
18,123.78;  treachery,  114. 
1 7  ;  treacherous,  1 70. 1 8 ; 
treasonous,  83-138;  unfor- 
tunate,  160.152 ;  unnatural, 
86.10,  1 96.80;  verity,  176. 
92;  visited,  1 8 1. 1 50 

Taint,  wither,  203-3 

Take  off,  discourage,  73.41 

Taking  off,  death,  47.20, 

100.105 
Tautology,  10.38 
Teach,  implying  teaching  by 

example,  43.12,  47.8 


INDEX    TO   THE    NOTES   ON    MACBETH 


Teare,  mangle,  139-12 

Tearmes,  names,  epithets, 
222.37 

Teemes,  gives  birth  to, 
183-176 

Tender,  exciting  commisera- 
tion, 51-55 

Tending,  attention,  37.38 

Tense,  historical  present 
and  past  tenses  in  same 
narrative,  8.15;  past  cor- 
responding to  MN.  E.  per- 
fect, 11.48;  present  as  fu- 
ture, 4.8 

Thy  loss  of  intervocalic, 
219. 18;  Latin  f,  121.66 

Than  and  then,  same  word, 
20.75 

That  (pron.),  corresponding 
to  MN.  E.  such,  such  a,  171. 
26,  175-74;  to  that,  to  that 
end,  7.10;  that  their  fit- 
nesse,  50.53 

That  (conj.),  because,  47.8  ; 
particles  strengthened  by, 
12.54,  108.32,  177.106;  re- 
peats connective,  23.113, 
46.4;  so  that,  13-58,  19-57, 
66.23,  169-6,  175.82 

The.    See  Article,  definite 

Theame,  used  of  action  as 
well  as  of  discourse,  25.129 

Their,  corresponding  to  MN. 
his,  1 1 3. 1 4  ;  misprinted  for 
the,  and  vice  versa,  141.38 

Theirs,  their  property,  44.26 

There  is,  with  plural  com- 
plement, 204.13 

Therewithall,  besides  that, 
92.34 

These,  such  as  these,  67.33, 
I78.II8 

The  time,  the  moment,  41. 
65;  the  world,  41.64,  174. 
72,  226.21 

Thickens,  becomes  obscure, 
1 1 1.50 

Thine,  thy  family,  thy  house, 
222.35 

Things,  applied  to  persons 
to  connote  absence  of  voli- 
tion, 210.13 

Thinke,  to  pay  heed  to,  57. 


21  ;  thinke  on,  bring  to  mind, 
105. II 
Think' st,  hast  in  mind,  172.35 
Thirst,  long  for,  124.91 
Thought,    purpose,    design, 
hope,  expectation,  etc.,  27. 
139,38.42, 1 78.1 16;  looked 
at,    considered,    regarded, 
67.33  ;  thoughts,  anxieties, 
105.10,  I38.I,  170.21 
Thriftlesse,  greedy,  88.28 
Thrusts,  hampers,  besets, 

I0I.II7 
Tidings,  singular,  37.31 
-tience,  dissyllabic,  8.18 
Time,   appointment,  92-37 
fitting  time,  28. 1 47, 2 1 3. 1 8 
tune,    measure,     188.235 
wide  range  of  association 
of  the  word,  19-58 
Time  analysis,  89 
Time  of  helpe,  opportunity 
for  military  aid  to  be  sent, 
184.186 
Timely,  early,  74-51  ;  oppor- 
tune, welcome,  1 1 3.7 
Times,  manners,  customs, 
123.78;  times  has,  123-78 
-Hon,  dissyllabic,  8.18,  37.34 
Title,  claim,  172.34,  201.20 
Titles,  title-deeds,  1 6 1. 7 
To,    according    to,     109-41, 
1 1 2.4;  besides,  7.10;  com- 
pared to,  121.64;   in  addi- 
tion to,  44.19, 94.52  ;  until, 
214.21  ;  to  friend,  169-10 
Top,  pitch  of  attainment, 

154-89;  to  surpass,  173-57 
Torch,  bearer  of  a  torch, 

42,  55 
Torture,  the  rack,  106.21 
Touch,  to  injure,  107.26, 

169.14;   sympathy,  162.9 
Toward,  monosyllable, 

29-152 
Towring,  hawking  term, 

86.12 
Toues,  trifles,  78.99 
Trace,  follow,  160.153 
Traines,  tricks,  178. 118 
Trammell  up,  net  up,  46.3 
Transport,  used  of  carrying 
news,  etc.,  I83-I8I 

245 


Transpose,  change,  alter  the 

nature  of,  170.21 
Travail,  not  distinguished 

from  travel  in  EL.  E.,  86.7 
Treatise,  story,  narration, 

213.12 
Trenched,  deep-cut,  118.27 
Trifled,  made  a  jest  of,  85.4 
Trifles,  tricks,  24.125 
Trouble,  physical  annoy- 
ance, 147.18,  1 96.80 
True,   applied  to    things  as 

well    as    persons,  21  I.I 5; 

rightful,  legitimate,  177.106 
Truly,  really,  according  to 

nature,  1 78.1 3 1 
Try  the  last,  224.61 
Tune,  rhythm,  21.87 
Turke  and  Tartar,  148.29 
Twaine,  originally  masc. 

form  of  two,  92.28 
Twenty,  indefinite  numeral, 

123.81 
Tyranny,  usurpation, 

171.32,  174.67 
Tyrant,  usurper,  140.22 

ii  not  shortened  and  de- 
veloped into  a  in  blood, 
1 3 1. 1 36;  in  strooke,  187. 
225  ;  development  of  u  be- 
fore I  and  consonant,  86. 1 2 

un-,  wide  use  of,  to  express 
negation,  37.26,  73-36, 
199.10 

Uncle,  use  of  term  in  EL.  E., 
197.2 

Undaunted,  undauntable, 
fearless,  53.73 

Undeeded,  220.20 

Under  fortune,  exposed  to 
danger,  97.78 

Under  his  key,  in  his  power, 
140.18 

Unfixe,  loosen,  26.135 

Universal  peace,  1 76.99 

Unlineal,  95-63 

Unmake,  mar,  50.54 

Unmannerly  breech' d  with 
gore,  80.122 

Unnaturall,  violating  natural 
instincts,  I96.8O;  unusual, 
1 96.80 


INDEX    TO    THE    NOTES   ON    MACBETH 


Unruffe,  beardless,  199-10 

Unsafe,  insecure,  108.32 

Unsafe  the  while,  108.32 

Unsanctified,  without  sanc- 
tuary, 167.81 

Unspeake,  to  speak  the  con- 
trary of,  178.123 

Untitled,  having  no  claim, 
177.104 

Upbraid,  to  cast  in  one's 
teeth,  201.18 

Upon,  concerning,  91-16 ; 
denoting  the  thing  affected 
by  the  action,  177. 1 12;  in 
temporal  phrases,  121.55; 
over,  203-7  ;  upon  his  ayd, 
with  his  support,  141.30; 
upon  the  foot  of,  ready  to 
start  upon,  82.129 

Uprore,  break  up  in  revolu- 
tion, 176.99 

Use,  custom,  13-62,  26.137  ; 
to  familiarize  with,  105. 10 

Utterance,  uttermost,  96.72 

v,  intervocalic,  loss  of :  devil, 
23.107;  even  like,  86.11 ; 
ever,  155.102;  given,  1 1 9- 
35 

Valued  file,  price-list, 
99-95 

Vantage,  opportunity,  9-3 I , 
23-113 

Vaulting,  an  EL.  sport, 
48.28 

Verbs  ending  in  -en,  -er,  past 
tense  and  participles  of, 
220.24 

Verity,  truthfulness,  90.8 ; 
faithfulness,  176.92 

Verses  wrongly  divided  in 
FO.  I  :  14.7,  21.81,  28.149, 
30.1,  32.25,  42.1,  44.18, 
55.4,  56.13,  58.25,  72.28, 
82.129,  87.18,93-43,97.75, 
98.85,108.32,110.49,113-9, 
158.133 

Versification :  alexandrine, 
203-5  ;  couplet  at  end  of 
scene,  54-81,  82;  extra- 
metrical  words  and  phrases, 
93-40,  100.108,  1 13.9;  ex- 
tra unstressed  impulse  at 


beginning,  8.20,  11.46;  ex- 
tra impulse  before  cae- 
sura, 18.43,  29.150,  31- 
16,  95-57,  98-83,  100.108, 
124.84,  164.36,  174.59,203- 
7, 223.56  ;  four- wave  verses 
6.7,  9-26,  21.88,  100.103, 
158.124,  170.18;  loss  of 
unstressed  impulse  after 
caesura,  4.7,  6.5,  38.41,  60. 
51,  64.13,  170.18,  172.34; 
loss  of  unstressed  impulse 
at  beginning  of  verse,  1 3 1. 
133;  in  middle  of  verse, 
146.6;  six-wave  verses,  10. 
38,  23.1 1 1,  78.88,  103.139, 
170.20,  176.97,  1 78. 1 16 
Vertue,  power,  1 8 1. 1 56 
Very,  intensifies  the  noun, 
giving  sense  of  exactly, 
192.22 
Vile,  wicked,  malicious, 

100.109 
Visited,  afflicted,  1 8 1. 1 50 
Vizards,  masks,  108.34 

w,  intervocalic,  lost,  29-152, 
225.7 ;   written  form   of  u 
before  consonant,  152.64 
Waile,  bewail,  169-8 
ZVake,  rouse,  1 4 1. 3 1 
Walke,  be  abroad,  138.7 
ZValk'd,  of  unconscious  lo- 
comotion, 190.3 
Wanton,  capricious,  32.34 
Warlike,  stronger  word  in 

EL.  E.,  224.62 
Warranted,  justii  ied,  author- 
ized, guaranteed,  1 79. 1 37 
ZVarre,  contest,  quarrel, 

21 1.2 1  ;  battle,  221.26 
Wassell,  carousing,  52.64 
Wast  full,  devastating, 

80.120 
£(LWc/j,anyinstrumenttotell 
time,   61.54;   to   sit   up   at 
night,    I90.I,    I9I- 12;    cp. 
70.71 
Water-rugs,  99-93 
Way  of  life,  205-22 
Way  to  death,  214-23 
Wee  stay  upon  your  leysure, 
28.148 

246 


Weare,     display,      172.46; 

proclaim,     maintain,    171. 

33 
Wearie,  disgusted,  sick, 

I00.II2 
Wee' I  heare  ourselves 

againe,  118.32 
Wei  at  peace,  183.179 
Welcome,  pledge  of  wel- 
come, 1 1 6.6 
Weyward,  form  of  the  word, 

17 
Weyward  sisters,  1 4.1, 

16.32 
What,  what  kind  of,  17.39, 

69-59,  155. 106,  172.49 
What  used  for  who,  72.21, 

219.2 
What,  why,  193-41 
What,  that  which  is,  227.37 
What  is  the  night,  129-126 
When  'tis,  when  the  time 

comes,  58.25 
Where,  relatively  used  adv., 

167.82,  182.166,  225-8 
Whereabout,  whereabouts, 

62.58 
Whereto,  to  which,  52.62 
Whether,  form  of  whither, 

166.73 
Which,  for  what,  135.10; 

referring  to  persons,  91-16 
While,  until,  93-44  J  the 

while,  so  long  as,  108.32 
Whiles,  whilst,  while,  35-6, 

62.60,  221.31 
Whisper,  whisper  to, 

186.210 
Whisp'rings,  insinuations, 

slanders,  196.79 
Who,  he  who,  23.109 
Wholsome,  prosperous, 

healthy,  177.105 
Wilde,  strange,  fantastic, 

18.40 
Will,  pleasure,  appetite, 

I0I.I20,  174.65,  175.88 
Will  to  hand,  1 31- 1 39 
Wing,  flight,  31-17 
Winke,  keep  the  eyes  closed, 

34.52 
Wise,  prudent,  79-114 
Wish,  to  commend,  226.15 


INDEX    TO    THE    NOTES    ON    MACBETH 


Witchcraft.  SeeDemonology 
Witches.    Sec  Demonology 
Withy  by,  22.93,95-63,  100. 
112,    177.104;    by  means 
of,  164.32,   213.13;   in  ac- 
cordance with,  227.31  ;    in 
addition  to,  175-76,  181. 1 56 
Withall,  with,  37.31;   with 
it,  etc.,  19.57,56.15,68.56; 
in   addition  to   this,  more- 
over, 172.41 
Wither' d,  colorless,  ghastly, 

60.52 
Without,  outside  of,  on  the 

outside,  93.47,  1 1 6. 1 4 
Witnesse,  evidence,  68.47 
Witnest,  attested,  184.184 
Womanly,  weak,  unmanly, 
167.78 


Word  order,  9-29,  65.17,  75. 

62,  91.19,    107.27,  143-49, 

152.64,  165-58,200.11,202. 

25,  212.7,  216.30 
Worme,  snake,  118.29 
Worthy,  brave,  1 1.45  ;  able, 

strong,  possessing   power 

or  wealth,  184.183 
Would,  are  ready  for,  must 

have,  198.4,5,227.31  ;  must 

inevitably  have  been,  213. 

1 8  ;  would  be,  is  to  be,  must 

be,  94.51  ;   would  not,   do 

not  want  to,  56.7 
Wouldst,  desirest,  36.19 
Wrack,  destruction,  218.51 
Wrestling,  73.47 
Writes,  enrolls,  99-101 
Wrought, past  tense  of  work, 


28.149  ;   had  its  due  effect, 
57.19 

y,  adjectives  in,  III.5I, 

191. 12 
Yawning,  drowsy,  109-43 
Yell,  cry  aloud,  1 69.5 
Yet,   still,    I55.IOO,    172.46, 
192.34;      notwithstanding, 
174.69 
Your  owne,  to  your  advan- 
tage, 32.33 
Yours,  your  families,  99-91 

z,  intervocalic,  152.65 
Zeugmatic  construction,  28. 

144,    36.22,    I0I.I22,    169. 

15,    174.68,    182.166,    198. 

4,5 


247 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED  I 

IOAM    nCDT 
RETURN     CIRCULATION  DEPARTMENT 

TO— ^      202  Main  Library 


- 


LOAN  PERIOD  1 
HOME  USE 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

1-month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling  642-3405 

.-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  br,ng,ng  the  books  to  the  Ore 

Renewals  and  recharges  may  be  made  4  days  pr.or  to  due  date 


DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


JAN    31985 

/ 

RECEIVL.D  d 

DEC      3 

CIRCULATION  DE 

PT* 

M 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELEY 

FORM  NO.  DD6,  60m,  1  /83  BERKELEY,  CA  94720 

©$ 


GENERAL  LIBRARY  -  U.C.  BERKELEY 


